effigy, simulacrum, image - a representation of a person (especially in the form of sculpture); "the coin bears an effigy of Lincoln"; "the emperor's tomb had his image carved in stone"

golden calf - (Old Testament) an idol made by Aaron for the Israelites to worship; destroyed by Moses; it is now used to refer to anything worshipped undeservedly

joss - a Chinese god worshipped in the form of an idol

Juggernaut - a crude idol of Krishna

heartthrob - an object of infatuation

principal, star, lead - an actor who plays a principal role

ideal - the idea of something that is perfect; something that one hopes to attain

gold standard - a paragon of excellence; "academic education is the gold standard against which other educational activity is pejoratively judged"