偶像

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: It is read ぐうぞう. 像 denotes an image or figure, and 偶像 names an object of worship or someone placed on a pedestal.
• Basic usage: It is used for a divine image or for treating a person as an object of worship. The example views a singer as an artist instead of an idol to worship.
  • その歌手を偶像として崇めるのではなく、一人の表現者として見ている。

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• A physical image versus idolizing a person
  • An 偶像 depicting a god can be a physical statue.
  • 偶像として崇める, when said of a person, is a figurative description of idolizing them.