idol

noun

ˈī-dᵊl 

1

: an object of extreme devotion

a movie idol

also : ideal sense 2

2

: a representation or symbol of an object of worship

broadly : a false god

3

a

: a likeness of something

b

obsolete : pretender, impostor

4

: a false conception : fallacy

5

: a form or appearance visible but without substance

… an enchanted phantom, a lifeless idol …

—Percy Bysshe Shelley

Synonyms of idol

• hero

Examples of idol in a Sentence

an actor who is the idol of millions

a movie star whose portrayal of a comic book superhero in a blockbuster series has made him the idol of millions

Recent Examples on the Web

Richard, now a 22-year-old surprise starter on Golden State, is soaking up the wisdom gleaned from sharing a locker room with his former idols Steph Curry and Draymond Green. —Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 27 Nov. 2025

Is that the real idol or is this a fake one? —Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Nov. 2025

Those fans of the Elite Squad action films from the 2000s and Netflix’s Narcos, the ones who were early advocates for Moura’s moody, matinee-idol charisma, have felt justified in seeing the actor get meatier parts in films like last year’s Civil War and a co-lead in Apple TV’s Dope Thief. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 Nov. 2025

Kurt Cobain would have wanted the next generation’s musicians and listeners to kill their idols, including him. —W. David Marx, The Atlantic, 25 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French idle, from Late Latin idolum, from Greek eidōlon image, idol; akin to Greek eidos form — more at idyll

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing idol

• fallen idol
• matinee idol

Rhymes for idol

• bridal
• bridle
• idle
• idyll
• seidel
• sidle
• tidal
• widal
• apsidal
• subtidal
• fratricidal
• fungicidal

Kids Definition

idol

noun

ˈid-ᵊl 

1

: an image worshipped as a god

2

: a greatly loved and admired person or thing