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idol

idol

1 3.3
A person or thing seen as a perfect example of something
  • noun
  • /ˈaɪdəl/
: modelo
  • To us, he's like an idol because he came from here.
  • a perfect idol

And if you think of yourself as an idol or not, some people are looking up to you.

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Examples

  • Many teenagers see their favorite pop stars as idols to emulate.

  • He was the first of many idols that I learned to question and disagree with, and I needed that to grow up.

  • And if you think of yourself as an idol or not, some people are looking up to you.

  • That my literary idol and your father are the same person.

  • Henry Ford, the business idol of the new era, did the same in the 1920s.

    Academic text (1991)
  • "When I was growing up, he was my idol - ever since the Tommy Dorsey days.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Slender, cultivated, modest, and calm, Moltke became the idol of his troops.

    Academic text (2011)
  • He described his father as his greatest idol for his generosity and kindness.

  • The author became an idol in the literary world for her innovative writing style.

Synonyms

example
vsidol
269 1.0

A person or thing to copy because they do something good

is the more exalted model viewed as ideal rather than just good
ideal
vsidol
229 3.8

A person or thing that is a perfect example to aim for

is the admired person or thing seen as that perfect standard
good example
vsidol
149 1.4

A person or thing that others should copy

is the highly admired model regarded as the perfect instance to copy
soul
vsidol
70 4.8

A person who is a perfect example of a quality

is the admired figure seen as the ideal instance of that quality
embodiment
vsidol
34 5.5

A person or thing that shows an idea, quality and feeling

is the admired version seen as a perfect case rather than just visible
epitome
vsidol
32 7.4

A perfect example of a person or thing that shows a certain quality

is the admired perfect example rather than a neutral label
paragon
vsidol
  • Formal
16 7.8

A person or thing that shows the highest level of quality

is the admired exemplar seen as embodying that quality fully
9 6.5

A person who shows a quality very clearly

is the celebrated representation regarded as the ideal example
avatar
vsidol
6 6.8

A person or thing that represents an idea, for example kindness

is the admired representative taken as the ideal example of that idea
incarnation
vsidol
3 6.3

A person or thing that shows a quality very clearly

is the admired embodiment judged as the ideal instance of that quality
beau ideal
vsidol
1 9.9

A perfect example of a person or thing that people admire

is the popularly admired instance used as the ideal benchmark
byword
vsidol
1 7.0

A person or thing that people use as an example of a quality

is the celebrated symbol viewed as the perfect and admired instance

Compounds

4 6.6

A handsome actor who many fans admire often in films or theatre

2 7.8

Praying to statues or pictures as if they were gods

1 7.5

A person who prays to a statue or object as if it were a god

How Exemplary

paragon
  • Formal
16 7.8
ideal
333 4.2
idol
1 3.3
model
76 4.3
example
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

idol singular
idols plural

Etymology

Idol comes from the Greek word eidolon, which meant 'image' or 'likeness'. From that idea of a perfect image, idol came to mean a perfect example, so calling someone an idol is like calling them an 'ideal' to follow.