iconolater

iconolater

An iconolater kneels before a sacred statue in a quiet chapel.

Definition

Noun: An "iconolater" is a person who worships or venerates icons, images, or symbols, especially in a religious or devotional context. The term often implies an intense or excessive devotion to visual representations, such as statues, paintings, or other sacred objects.

Usage Examples
  • (People who worship religious images.)
  • (Someone who excessively reveres symbols.)
Advanced Usage
  • "iconolater of modernity": a person who venerates contemporary symbols or cultural icons.
    • He is an iconolater of pop culture, treating celebrity images as sacred objects. (Someone who worships modern icons.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Iconolatry (n): the worship or veneration of icons or images.
    • The practice of iconolatry was common in Byzantine Christianity. (The act of revering icons.)
  • Icon (n): a religious image or symbol; a widely recognized symbol.
    • The cross is a central icon in Christianity. (A sacred symbol.)
Synonyms
  • Image-worshipper: a person who worships physical representations.
  • Idolater: a person who worships idols or images (often used interchangeably, though "idolater" may imply a broader sense of false worship).
Related Idioms
  • Worship the ground someone walks on: to have extreme devotion to a person (not directly synonymous, but captures the intensity of reverence).
    • She worships the ground her mentor walks on, much like an iconolater would a sacred statue. (Extreme devotion.)
Phrasal Verbs
  • Bow down to: to show reverence or submission, often to an image or authority.
    • The iconolaters would bow down to the icon of the saint. (Show reverence to an image.)