iconoclastic

adjective

Definition of iconoclasticnext
as in dissident
deviating from commonly accepted beliefs or practices the book offers iconoclastic and irreverent portraits of some of history's most sacred cows

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of iconoclastic Within years, the iconoclastic comic was a weary and defeated man — broke, baggy-eyed, and prematurely old. — Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026 But for the iconoclastic Coppola, a desire to work with an up-and-coming actor, who his friends Brian De Palma and Martin Scorsese had discovered and was not yet a star, became the other key impetus to make the film. — Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2026 At the office, former Crowdpac employees say Hilton embraced the stereotype of an iconoclastic startup founder. — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Performed mostly with the world’s coolest house band in Yo La Tengo, the 19-song set saw iconoclastic singers and musicians add their own flavor to Ono originals. — Katherine Turman, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2026 The genre, with its sanitized storylines and Oscar-baiting pretensions, seems fundamentally at odds with the iconoclastic chef and television personality. — Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026 Like Dante, Nick Tosches was an undaunted character whose tongue-twisting prose was an iconoclastic mash-up of realism and intricate, erudite lyricism. — A.d. Amorosi, SPIN, 6 Aug. 2026 In a retrospective on her career, Sheridan acknowledged her iconoclastic nature. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 17 July 2026 But the truth is that our forefathers were sufficiently individualistic to be iconoclastic. — Colin Fleming, New York Daily News, 4 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for iconoclastic
  1. dissident
  2. unconventional
  3. dissenting
  4. out-there
  5. heretical
Adjective
  • In addition to sharing that expertise with Mexican cartels, the use of drones in Colombia has also become commonplace among FARC dissident groups.
    — Sol Amaya, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The film, which runs at a staggering 165 minutes, took dissident director Khrzhanovsky two decades to make.
    — Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of dissident
Adjective
  • Screening the electron interactions weakened and ultimately eliminated superconductivity, supporting an unconventional mechanism for electron pairing.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Inspired by the unconventional materials and craftsmanship of studio jewelry, the couple fell in love with art jewelry as collectible material culture.
    — Livia Caligor, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of unconventional
Adjective
  • The Fed’s interest rate-setting committee is divided and saw the most dissenting votes in more than three decades last month.
    — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 13 May 2026
  • Board member Renee Paschall cast the lone dissenting vote on the final package.
    — Elizabeth Sander, San Antonio Express-News, 19 Aug. 2022
Definition of dissenting
Adjective
  • They’re made from a faux leather that, frankly, looks really expensive, and are available in 20 colors, including some more out-there prints.
    — Kaelin Dodge, InStyle, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Guitarist Adam Turay and trumpeter Ryan Easter both come from the jazzier side of the tracks, the former playing with Afro-R&B group the Narcotix, the latter with more out-there units like WRENS.
    — Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 23 July 2026
Definition of out-there
Adjective
  • But the Surrealists were heretical, dreamy, spiritual orphans of the wars, and war touched Evans down in Wilmington, where warships were built.
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Players who complete a series of optional quests involving the Divine Child—a young girl who is the sole survivor of experiments by the heretical monks of Ashina’s Senpou Temple—can choose the Return ending.
    — Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of heretical

Browse Nearby Words

iconoclast
iconoclastic
iconoclasts
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Iconoclastic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/iconoclastic. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of hobnob

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All