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
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby picked up a pair of assists to move past Hall of Famer and childhood idol Steve Yzerman and into seventh place on the NHL's career scoring list (1,756).
—ABC News, 4 Apr. 2026
Charlie, although more sympathetic, is left reeling, and Pattinson, always at his best when his matinée-idol looks surrender to warpings of fear and anxiety, conducts a virtuosic symphony of shifting moods.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2026
For the first time ever on Survivor, a contestant found two idols, then got to keep neither.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 2 Apr. 2026
Like, no one out here is gonna give me a Billie Eilish Boomerang idol, right?
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for idol
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ABC News, 4 Apr. 2026
Charlie, although more sympathetic, is left reeling, and Pattinson, always at his best when his matinée-idol looks surrender to warpings of fear and anxiety, conducts a virtuosic symphony of shifting moods.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2026
For the first time ever on Survivor, a contestant found two idols, then got to keep neither.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 2 Apr. 2026
Like, no one out here is gonna give me a Billie Eilish Boomerang idol, right?
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Apr. 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 5 Apr. 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
