Synonyms of icon

icon

noun

ˈī-ˌkän 

variants also ikon

1

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hero
• idol
• god
• model
• classic
• paragon
• exemplar
• ideal
• nonpareil
• beau ideal

2

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• symbol
• sign
• glyph
• letter
• character
• numeral
• cipher
• hieroglyph
• pictogram
• rune
• pictograph
• ideogram

3

as in manifestation

a visible representation of something abstract (as a quality)

cites Marlene Dietrich as an icon of old-time Hollywood glamour

Synonyms & Similar Words

• manifestation
• image
• avatar
• incarnation
• personification
• essence
• model
• abstract
• genius
• incorporation
• instantiation
• embodiment
• objectification
• externalization
• epitome
• personifier
• personalization
• realization
• embodier
• soul
• paradigm
• actualization
• reincarnation
• exemplification
• substantiation
• archetype
• concretization
• pattern
• quintessence
• exemplar

4

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• star
• celebrity
• personality
• name
• hero
• superstar
• dignitary
• celeb
• personage
• luminary
• somebody
• notable
• light
• cause célèbre
• megastar
• figure
• VIP
• standout
• notoriety
• notability
• idol
• favorite
• heartthrob
• pillar
• monument
• worthy
• eminence
• magnate
• immortal
• mogul
• demigod
• baron
• bigwig
• nabob
• kahuna
• panjandrum
• big shot

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• nobody
• has-been
• lightweight
• mediocrity
• noncelebrity

5

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• image
• portrait
• illustration
• depiction
• picture
• likeness
• representation
• view
• drawing
• resemblance
• photograph
• watercolor
• silhouette
• caricature
• sketch
• collage
• cartoon
• delineation
• diagram
• etching
• montage
• doodle
• finger painting
• daub
• hieroglyph
• pictograph
• ideograph
• ideogram
• hieroglyphic

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of icon

This breezy and insightful book, which takes the movie icon from the slums of New York to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, triumphant on Oscar night, is a sobering reminder of just how far Stallone had to go to make it. — Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026

During a recent interview with Fox News Digital, Levy shared the advice that Sheindlin gave him before the television icon handed off the gavel to her son. — Ashley Hume , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026

The browser’s latest update brings a design overhaul to all desktop and mobile users, aimed at modernizing Firefox with bubble-like tabs, a rounded address bar, and refreshed colors, icons, and themes. — Stevie Bonifield, The Verge, 29 Sep. 2026

La Cinquecento has comprehensively reworked the little Italian icon into something collectors will line up over. — New Atlas, 29 Sep. 2026