ICON Synonyms: 116 Similar and Opposite Words

icon

noun

ˈī-ˌkän

variants also ikon

Definition of icon

as in hero

a person who is the object of extreme or uncritical devotion Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and other icons of pop culture

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Relevance

as in symbol

a written or printed mark that is meant to convey information to the reader the player's remote control is very user-friendly as it doesn't use any icons that you haven't seen a million times before

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as in manifestation

a visible representation of something abstract (as a quality) cites Marlene Dietrich as an icon of old-time Hollywood glamour

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as in star

a person who is widely known and usually much talked about a sports bar filled with photos of icons from football, basketball, and baseball

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in image

a two dimensional design intended to look like a person or thing any icon of the Deity is regarded as blasphemous by adherents of that religion

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of icon The Grease icon joined her costars at the European of Practical Magic 2 this week at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square in London. — Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Aug. 2026 On Tuesday the legendary and beloved music icon Dolly Parton passed away. — Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 27 Aug. 2026 Those parts of her legacy have now become central to the debate over who gets to pay tribute to the country icon and how. — Sameen, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 Millions around the world are remembering the life and legacy of country music icon Dolly Parton, including a metro Atlanta band. — Daniel Wilkerson, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for icon

Recent Examples of Synonyms for icon

Noun

Horrific details are emerging and a young girl is being hailed as a hero after authorities said a shooting and fire left multiple people dead at a family's home in Montana.

— CBS News, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
And that all starts with Hawks themselves, a wonderfully charismatic hero who’s nearly impossible to dislike.

— Hayes Madsen, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of hero

Noun

As her anger and resistance grow, her body begins to transform into porcelain, becoming a powerful symbol of her silent rebellion and her fight to reclaim her own identity.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
But Pete took the idea one step further, taking the organization’s iconic symbol — the star — and suffusing it with a deeper meaning.

— Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of symbol

Noun

Pursued by monstrous entities and confronted by manifestations of human suffering, Dante and Virgil will eventually come face to face with the Devil himself.

— Ed Meza, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
But as the brand continues to grow, dealing with the manifestation of a dream is quite nice.

— Judith Garrison, AJC.com, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of manifestation

Noun

Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, Jack White, every living president, Jane Fonda, and countless more have all mourned the beloved star.

— Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2026
The late star had also been a co-owner of Sandollar Productions alongside her former manager, Sandy Gallin, which produced Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Father of the Bride and Sabrina, among others.

— Lars Brandle, Billboard, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of star

Noun

Since then, she’s worked with some of her biggest idols in the culinary world, cooking alongside everyone from Jean-Georges Vongerichten to Masaharu Morimoto, Giada De Laurentiis, and Gordon Ramsay.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026
Another key innovation from this year’s lineup is the Xtep Float, which was seen on C-pop idol Fan Chengcheng.

— Denni Hu, Footwear News, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of idol

Noun

The avatar was modeled on Joyner’s appearance and voice and was framed as part of a broader effort to democratize online learning.

— Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
Our own legal team built an AI legal avatar for common contract management tasks like scheduling calls, answering questions and talking through points with outside counsel.

— Victor Riparbelli, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of avatar

Noun

Ramon Hervey helped engineer the careers of many celebrities.

— Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026
Following Parton’s death, numerous celebrities took to social media to share tributes honoring Parton, many of whom include musicians and actors who had worked with Parton before.

— Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of celebrity

Browse Nearby Words

icky

icon

iconoclasm

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Style

“Icon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/icon. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of icon

noun

Example Sentences

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