アイドル

Japanese

Etymology 1

Borrowed from English idol. Attested in the late 1880s, in the novel Ukigumo, as a poetic alternative to 本尊 (“object of worship”), but popularized with its current meaning after the 1964 Japanese release of the French film Cherchez l'idole (Find the Idol).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) アイドル [áꜜìdòrù] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [a̠ido̞ɾɯ̟]

Noun

アイドル • (aidoru) 

1. idol (Asian popular performer)
   • 2023 April 12, YOASOBI (lyrics and music), “アイドル [Idol]”, in アイドル [Idol]:

     誰(だれ)もが目(め)を奪(うば)われていく　君(きみ)は完(かん)璧(べき)で究(きゅう)極(きょく)のアイドル

     dare mo ga me o ubawareteiku kimi wa kanbeki de kyūkyoku no aidoru

     That emotion melts all hearts, all eyes on you; cause you are perfect, the most ultimate idol

2. popular person

   Synonym: 人気者 (ninkimono)

   クラスのアイドル

   kurasu no aidoru

   popular person in class

Descendants

• → Chinese: 愛抖露 / 爱抖露 (àidǒulù)
• → Chinese: 愛豆 / 爱豆 (àidòu)
• → English: aidoru, idoru

See also

• 偶(ぐう)像(ぞう) (gūzō)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from English idle.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) アイドル [àídórú] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [a̠ido̞ɾɯ̟]

Noun

アイドル • (aidoru) 

1. (in compounds) idle

   アイドル時(じ)間(かん)

   aidoru jikan

   (computing) idle time