Definition

1. Noun:
   • A material effigy that is worshipped: A "graven image" is a physical object, typically carved or sculpted, that is used as an object of worship or veneration. It is an idol.

Usage

• The term is primarily used in religious or historical contexts, often with a negative connotation implying false worship or idolatry, especially in Abrahamic religious traditions.
• It is a formal and somewhat archaic term, most famously appearing in the King James Version of the Bible.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The ancient tribe worshipped a graven image of a bull.
  • The commandment states, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image."
  • To him, his luxury car was like a graven image; he cared for nothing else.

Advanced Usage

• "Graven image" as a metaphor: The term can be used metaphorically to describe any object or concept that is given excessive devotion or reverence, often to a harmful degree.
  • For the obsessed collector, the rare stamp was not just an item but a graven image.

Variants and Related Words

• Idol (n): A more common and general synonym for an image or statue worshipped as a god.
• Effigy (n): A sculpture or model of a person, which can be used for worship or, in other contexts, for protest or ridicule.
• Icon (n): In religious art, a sacred image, especially in Eastern Christianity. Unlike "graven image," "icon" is often used positively within its tradition.

Synonyms

• Idol
• Fetish
• Icon (context-dependent)
• Figurehead (in a metaphorical, secular sense)

Related Idioms and Phrases

• To make a graven image of something: To idolize or worship something material excessively.
  • He had made a graven image of his career, sacrificing his family for it.

Noun

1. a material effigy that is worshipped
   • thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image
   • money was his god