idol

See also: Idol and ídol

English

Alternative forms

• idoll (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English ydole, from Old French idole, from Latin idolum, from Ancient Greek εἴδωλον (eídōlon, “image, idol”), from εἶδος (eîdos, “form”), from Proto-Indo-European *wéydos (“seeing, image”), from *weyd- (“to see”). Doublet of aidoru, eidolon, and idolum and related to idea.

Pronunciation

• enPR: īʹd(ə)l
  • (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈaɪ.dəl/, [ˈaɪ.dl̩]

    • Audio (Southern England):

      (file)

  • (US, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈaɪ.dəl/, [ˈaɪ.ɾl̩]

    • Audio (Mid-Atlantic US):

      (file)

  • (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈɑɪ.dəl/, [ˈɑɪ.ɾl̩]
• Rhymes: -aɪdəl
• Homophones: idle, idyl(l) (US pronunciation)
• Rhymes: -əʊl

Noun

idol (plural idols)

1. A graven image or representation of anything that is revered, or believed to convey spiritual power.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Revelation 9:20–21:

     20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues, yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship deuils, and idoles of golde, and siluer, and brasse, and stone, and of wood, which neither can see, nor heare, nor walke:
     21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

   • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter II, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:

     Sunning himself on the board steps, I saw for the first time Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke. He was dressed out in broad gaiters and bright tweeds, like an English tourist, and his face might have belonged to Dagon, idol of the Philistines.

   • 1911, J. Milton Hayes, The Green Eye of the Little Yellow God:

     There's a one-eyed yellow idol to the north of Kathmandu, There's a little marble cross below the town; There's a broken-hearted woman tends the grave of Mad Carew, And the Yellow God forever gazes down.

2. A cultural icon, or especially popular person.
3. (Asia, originally Japan) A popular entertainer, usually young, captivating and attractive, and often female, with an image of being close to fans.
   • [2016 January 26, Mariko Oi, “The dark side of Asia’s pop music industry”, in BBC News‎^[1]:

     They are known as "idols" and their job is "to sell dreams". For decades, the young pop stars of Japan and South Korea have been the envy of teenagers.]

4. (obsolete) An eidolon or phantom; something misleading or elusive.

Synonyms

• (a celebrated person): icon, star, superstar

Derived terms

• idolatry
• idolise, idolize
• idol shepherd
• kill your idols
• matinee idol
• matinée idol
• Moorish idol

 

Descendants

• → Japanese: アイドル
  • → Chinese: 愛抖露／爱抖露 (àidǒulù)
  • → Chinese: 愛豆／爱豆 (àidòu)
  • → English: aidoru, idoru
• → Korean: 아이돌 (aidol)

Translations

representation of anything revered

• Albanian: idhull (sq) m
• Arabic: صَنَم m (ṣanam), وَثَن (ar) m (waṯan)

  Egyptian Arabic: صنم m (ṣanam)

• Armenian: կուռք (hy) (kuṙkʻ)
• Azerbaijani: büt (az), sənəm
• Baluchi: بت (but)
• Bashkir: бот (bot), һынташ (hıntaş), тораташ (torataş)
• Belarusian: і́дал m (ídal), бажо́к m (bažók), бо́ства n (bóstva)
• Bengali: বুত (bn) (but)
• Bulgarian: и́дол (bg) m (ídol), куми́р (bg) m (kumír)
• Burmese: ရုပ်တု (my) (ruptu.)
• Catalan: ídol (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 偶人 (ngau⁵ jan⁴), 偶像 (ngau⁵ zoeng⁶)

  Mandarin: 偶像 (zh) (ǒuxiàng), 神像 (zh) (shénxiàng), 偶人 (zh) (ǒurén)

• Crimean Tatar: put
• Czech: idol m, modla (cs) f
• Danish: idol c
• Dutch: afgod (nl) m, godenbeeld (nl), idool (nl)
• Esperanto: idolo (eo)
• Finnish: jumalankuva (fi), epäjumalankuva
• French: idole (fr) f
• Galician: ídolo m
• Georgian: კერპი (ka) (ḳerṗi)
• German: Idol (de) n, Götze (de) f
• Greek: είδωλο (el) n (eídolo)

  Ancient: εἴδωλον n (eídōlon)

• Gujarati: મૂર્તિ (mūrti), દેવપ્રતિમા (devapratimā)
• Hebrew: צלם (he), פסל (he), תרפים (he), בְּעָל (he)
• Hindi: बुत (hi) m (but), मूर्ति f (mūrti), प्रतिमा (hi) f (pratimā)
• Hungarian: bálvány (hu)
• Indonesian: berhala (id), pujaan (id)
• Italian: idolo (it) m
• Japanese: 偶像 (ja) (ぐうぞう, gūzō), アイドル (ja) (aidoru)
• Karaim: abach
• Karakhanid: بُرْخَنْ (burχan)
• Kazakh: бұт (būt)
• Khmer: គារវរូប (kiərĕəʼvĕəʼruup)
• Korean: 우상(偶像) (ko) (usang)
• Kyrgyz: бут (ky) (but)
• Latgalian: dīvaklys
• Latin: īdōlum n
• Latvian: elks
• Lingala: nkísi
• Macedonian: идол m (idol), кумир m (kumir)
• Malagasy: sampy (mg)
• Malay: pujaan (ms), berhala (ms)
• Malayalam: വിഗ്രഹം (ml) (vigrahaṁ)
• Maore Comorian: sanamwe class 5/6
• Maori: whakapakoko
• Marathi: मूर्ती f (mūrtī)
• Middle English: mawmet, ydole
• Ngazidja Comorian: sinamu class 9/10
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: idol m

• Odia: ମୂର୍ତ୍ତି (or) (murtti)
• Old Church Slavonic:

  Cyrillic: коумиръ m (kumirŭ)

• Old East Slavic: идолъ m (idolŭ), кумиръ m (kumirŭ)
• Old English: wēoh n, hearg m, godġield n, dēofolġield n
• Old Occitan: ydola f
• Pashto: بت (ps) m (but)
• Persian: بُت (fa) (bot)
• Polish: bożek (pl) m, bałwan (pl) m, idol (pl) m, modła (pl)
• Portuguese: ídolo (pt) m
• Punjabi: ਮੂਰਤੀ (mūrtī)
• Quechua: lanti
• Romanian: idol (ro) m
• Russian: и́дол (ru) m (ídol), божество́ (ru) n (božestvó), божо́к (ru) m (božók), истука́н (ru) m (istukán), куми́р (ru) m (kumír) (dated in this sense), чур (ru) m (čur) (Slavic neopaganism)
• Sanskrit: देवता (sa) f (devatā)
• Scottish Gaelic: ìomhaigh m
• Sinhalese: පිළිමය (piḷimaya)
• Spanish: ídolo (es) m
• Swahili: sanamu
• Swedish: idol (sv) c
• Tajik: бут (but)
• Telugu: విగ్రహం (te) (vigrahaṁ), విగ్రహము (te) (vigrahamu)
• Thai: เทวรูป (th) (tee-wá-rûup), รูปเคารพ (rûup-kao-róp)
• Turkish: put (tr)
• Turkmen: but (tk)
• Ukrainian: і́дол m (ídol), божество́ (uk) n (božestvó), божо́к (uk) m (božók)
• Urdu: بُت m (but)
• Uzbek: but (uz), sanam (uz)
• Vietnamese: thần tượng (vi)
• Yiddish: אָפּגאָט (opgot), צלם (tseylem)

cultural icon, especially popular person

• Albanian: idhull (sq) m
• Arabic: آيْدُول m (ʔāydūl) (neologism)
• Armenian: կուռք (hy) (kuṙkʻ)
• Belarusian: і́дал m (ídal), кумі́р m (kumír)
• Bulgarian: и́дол (bg) m (ídol), куми́р (bg) m (kumír)
• Catalan: ídol (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 偶像 (zh) (ǒuxiàng), 萬人迷／万人迷 (zh) (wànrénmí), 紅人／红人 (zh) (hóngrén)

• Czech: idol m
• Esperanto: idolo (eo)
• Estonian: iidol
• Finnish: idoli (fi), esikuva (fi)
• French: idole (fr) m
• Galician: ídolo m
• German: Idol (de) n, Götze (de) f
• Greek: είδωλο (el) n (eídolo), ίνδαλμα (el) n (índalma)
• Hungarian: idol (hu)
• Indonesian: idola (id)
• Italian: idol (it) m
• Japanese: アイドル (ja) (aidoru), 偶像 (ja) (ぐうぞう, gūzō)
• Korean: Korean: 우상(偶像) (ko) (usang), 아이돌 (ko) (aidol)
• Kyrgyz: аздек (azdek)
• Macedonian: идол m (idol)
• Maori: hautupua
• Marathi: आयडल (āyḍal)
• Persian: آیدل (âydol)
• Polish: idol (pl) m, idolka (pl) f
• Portuguese: ídolo (pt) m, ícone (pt) m
• Romanian: idol (ro) m
• Russian: и́дол (ru) m (ídol), куми́р (ru) m (kumír)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: ѝдо̄л m

  Roman: ìdōl (sh) m

• Slovak: idol m
• Slovene: idol m
• Spanish: ídolo (es)
• Swedish: idol (sv) c
• Thai: ไอดอล (ai-dɔ̂l)
• Turkish: idol (tr)
• Ukrainian: і́дол m (ídol), куми́р m (kumýr)
• Vietnamese: thần tượng (vi) (神像)

(Asia, originally Japan) popular performer

• Belarusian: і́дал m (ídal)
• Bulgarian: и́дол (bg) m (ídol)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 偶像 (zh) (ǒuxiàng)

• Esperanto: idolo (eo), idolkantisto, furorulo
• Finnish: idoli (fi)
• Japanese: アイドル (ja) (aidoru)
• Korean: 아이돌 (ko) (aidol)
• Marathi: आयडल (āyḍal)
• Russian: и́дол (ru) m (ídol), а́йдол (ru) m (ájdol)
• Thai: ไอดอล (ai-dɔ̂l)
• Ukrainian: і́дол m (ídol)

Anagrams

• Lodi, OLDI, diol, lido, loid, olid

Danish

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -oːl

Noun

idol n (singular definite idolet, plural indefinite idoler)

1. idol

Inflection

Declension of idol

neuter gender	Singular		Plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	idol	idolet	idoler	idolerne
genitive	idols	idolets	idolers	idolernes

Middle English

Noun

idol

1. Alternative form of ydole

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from French idole, from Latin īdōlum, from Ancient Greek εἴδωλον (eídōlon, “image; idol”), from εἶδος (eîdos, “form”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈi.dɔl/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -idɔl
• Syllabification: i‧dol

Noun

idol m pers (female equivalent idolka)

1. idol (cultural icon, especially popular person)

Declension

Declension of idol

	singular	plural
nominative	idol	idole
genitive	idola	idoli/idolów
dative	idolowi	idolom
accusative	idola	idoli/idolów
instrumental	idolem	idolami
locative	idolu	idolach
vocative	idolu	idole

Noun

idol m inan

1. idol (representation of anything revered)

   Synonyms: bożek, bałwan

Declension

Declension of idol

	singular	plural
nominative	idol	idole
genitive	idolu	idoli/idolów
dative	idolowi	idolom
accusative	idol	idole
instrumental	idolem	idolami
locative	idolu	idolach
vocative	idolu	idole

Further reading

• idol in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• idol in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romanian

Etymology

From Ancient Greek είδωλον (eídōlon), partially through the intermediate of Old Church Slavonic идолъ (idolŭ). Compare Aromanian idul, Serbo-Croatian idol.

Noun

idol m (plural idoli)

1. idol
2. pagan divinity
3. (popular) demon

   Synonyms: demon, drac, diavol, aghiuță, naiba

Declension

Declension of idol

	singular		plural
	indefinite articulation	definite articulation	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) idol	idolul	(niște) idoli	idolii
genitive/dative	(unui) idol	idolului	(unor) idoli	idolilor
vocative	idolule		idolilor

Related terms

• idolatru
• idolatrie

Serbo-Croatian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ǐdoːl/
• Hyphenation: i‧dol

Noun

ìdōl m (Cyrillic spelling ѝдо̄л)

1. idol

Declension

Declension of idol

	singular	plural
nominative	ìdōl	idoli
genitive	idóla	idola
dative	idolu	idolima
accusative	idola	idole
vocative	idole	idoli
locative	idolu	idolima
instrumental	idolom	idolima

Swedish

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

idol c

1. someone greatly admired (by someone), or the person someone admires the most; an idol

   Mark Knopfler är min idol ― Mark Knopfler is my idol

2. (rare, technical) a representation of a deity; an idol

   Synonym: avgud

Declension

Declension of idol

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	idol	idols
	definite	idolen	idolens
plural	indefinite	idoler	idolers
	definite	idolerna	idolernas

Derived terms

• idoldyrkan (“celebrity worship”)

References

• idol in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• idol in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• idol in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Welsh

Etymology

From English idol.

Noun

idol m (plural idolau or idoliaid or idolon)

1. idol

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	h-prothesis
idol	unchanged	unchanged	hidol
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “idol”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies