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idol

idol

59 3.3
A person or thing seen as a perfect example of something
  • noun
  • /ˈaɪdəl/
translation icon : 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
515 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
241 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
soul
vsidol
112 4.8

A person who is a perfect example of a quality

is the admired figure seen as the ideal instance of that quality
good example
vsidol
111 1.4

A person or thing that others should copy

is the highly admired model regarded as the perfect instance to copy
embodiment
vsidol
38 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
30 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
18 7.8

A person or thing that shows the highest level of quality

is the admired exemplar seen as embodying that quality fully
avatar
vsidol
10 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
9 6.3

A person or thing that shows a quality very clearly

is the admired embodiment judged as the ideal instance of that quality
7 6.5

A person who shows a quality very clearly

is the celebrated representation regarded as the ideal example
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
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

Compounds

3 6.6

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

1 7.8

Praying to statues or pictures as if they were gods

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

How Exemplary

paragon
  • Formal
18 7.8
ideal
203 4.2
idol
59 3.3
model
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.