idol
noun
\ ˈī-dᵊl
\
\
Definition of idol
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— P. B. Shelley
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Examples of idol in a Sentence
an actor who is the idol of millions
a movie idol whose reprehensible offscreen behavior caused him to experience a spectacular fall from grace
Recent Examples on the Web
Unlike DiCaprio, however, these girls can touch their idols, even demand the selfies and hugs and kisses that their convention ticket money entitles them to. — Josephine Livingstone, The New Republic, "Jawline Explores the Teenage Dream of Social Media," 22 Aug. 2019 Eilish released a single remix in July that also happened to feature Bieber, her longtime idol. — Washington Post, "Billie Eilish dethrones Lil Nas X with her first Billboard No. 1," 19 Aug. 2019 In China, fans girls come from all backgrounds and are bound together by a selfless love for their idols. — Youyou Zhou, Quartz, "China’s fan-girl culture is mobilizing against the Hong Kong protests," 18 Aug. 2019 After meeting director Gurinder Chadha years later and deciding to collaborate on a film adaptation, Manzoor wrote his idol what was essentially a 1,000-word fan latter asking for music rights. — Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, "This Springsteen superfan has been to 150 shows. Now he has a movie, 'Blinded by the Light'," 12 Aug. 2019 To ignore that Priestley perfectly deconstructed his teen idol iconography in Love and Death in Long Island? — Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, "'BH90210': TV Review," 7 Aug. 2019 The tournament is accessible for young kids and casual fans, and also allows die-hards to see their idols up close and personal. — Jon Wertheim, SI.com, "Mailbag: What Should We Make of Another Nick Kyrgios Title?," 7 Aug. 2019 Detroit Lions' Family Fest open practice was highlighted by Calder Hodge, 13, who got to meet his idol Matthew Stafford, and run a play, Aug. 2, 2019. — Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press, "Inspirational double-amputee QB Calder Hodge throws TD at Lions practice," 2 Aug. 2019 But it could be argued—and indeed is argued by Atkins in the film—that the film industry’s bloodthirst corrupted a generation that then murdered its idols. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, "Quentin Tarantino’s Ultimate Statement on Movie Violence," 2 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'idol.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for idol
idol
noun
English Language Learners Definition of idol
: a greatly loved or admired person
: a picture or object that is worshipped as a god
See the full definition for idol in the English Language Learners Dictionary
idol
noun
\ ˈī-dᵊl
\
\
Kids Definition of idol
1
: an image worshipped as a god
2
: a much loved or admired person or thing
a movie idol
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