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
4
: a false conception : fallacy
5
: a form or appearance visible but without substance
… an enchanted phantom, a lifeless idol …—
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Percy Bysshe ShelleyExamples 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
That day, Riley had been editing a sequence in which Corvette sneaks into a San Francisco condo owned by Christie, her fashion idol, by hiding inside a coffee delivery cart.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
Those critics referenced the golden calf idol worshipped by the Israelites before Moses returned from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments in the Book of Exodus.
—Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
The idol quickly became an unusually powerful evangelical tool.
—Franklin Leonard, Vanity Fair, 14 May 2026
The New Jersey nurse winner knew her time was up after the tribe's initial target, Tiffany, won immunity, and after Rizo threatened to play his idol.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for idol
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Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
Those critics referenced the golden calf idol worshipped by the Israelites before Moses returned from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments in the Book of Exodus.
—Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
The idol quickly became an unusually powerful evangelical tool.
—Franklin Leonard, Vanity Fair, 14 May 2026
The New Jersey nurse winner knew her time was up after the tribe's initial target, Tiffany, won immunity, and after Rizo threatened to play his idol.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for idol
Cite this Entry
“Idol.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idol. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
idol
noun1
: an image worshipped as a god
2
: a greatly loved and admired person or thing
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
