iconoclastic

IPA/aɪˌkɒnəˈklæstɪk/
KK[ˌaɪkənəklˈæstɪk]IPA/aɪˌkɑːnəˈklæstɪk/

iconoclastic — adjective

  • iconoclasticpositive
  • more iconoclasticcomparative
  • most iconoclasticsuperlative

1. describing a person, idea, or work that attacks or challenges widely accepted be

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

describing a person, idea, or work that attacks or challenges widely accepted beliefs, customs, or institutions

Example

Felipe's iconoclastic views on education made him unpopular with school administrators.

iconoclastic views on [topic] — typical adjective-noun collocation

The art critic praised Lotte's iconoclastic paintings that broke every rule of composition.

Common collocations
  • iconoclastic views
  • iconoclastic ideas
  • iconoclastic approach
  • iconoclastic thinker
  • iconoclastic artist
  • iconoclastic work / writing / speech
Synonyms
  • radical

    broader in scope — can refer to extreme political or social positions, not necessarily attacking tradition

  • revolutionary

    implies creating a complete new system, whereas iconoclastic focuses on attacking the old one

  • unorthodox

    milder — describes something that departs from the norm without actively attacking it

  • dissenting

    focuses on disagreement with a specific view rather than a broad challenge to tradition

Antonyms
  • conventional

    following accepted standards rather than challenging them

  • orthodox

    conforming to established doctrine, especially in religion or academia

  • traditional

    based on long-established customs rather than attacking them

Grammar Patterns

iconoclastic + noun

be + iconoclastic

Usage Note

Primarily used in formal, academic, and critical writing. The word describes challenges to ideas, customs, or institutions — not attacks on individuals. It carries a connotation of deliberate, principled opposition rather than casual disagreement.

Common Mistakes

My brother is iconoclastic because he refuses to clean his room.
The philosopher's iconoclastic theory challenged centuries of religious doctrine.
The word applies to challenges against established ideas or institutions, not ordinary personal habits.
She wore an iconoclastic dress to the party.
The designer's iconoclastic collection rejected traditional fashion norms.
The word describes ideas or creative work that challenges conventions, not simply something unusual or attention-grabbing.

Word family

  • iconoclast
    nounC1
  • iconoclasm
    nounC1
  • icon
    nounB1
  • iconic
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe a departure from the norm, but iconoclastic is uniquely concerned with attacking established beliefs. 'Radical' is the broadest — it can describe extreme political, social, or economic positions without necessarily implying an attack on tradition. 'Revolutionary' focuses on bringing about a completely new system or method; it is more constructive whereas iconoclastic is more critical. 'Unorthodox' is the mildest of the group — it simply means going against the usual way of doing things, without the aggressive, attacking tone of iconoclastic. 'Dissenting' refers specifically to expressing disagreement with a particular view, policy, or authority, rather than targeting tradition as a whole. For example: a painter's iconoclastic style deliberately rejects artistic conventions, while the same painter's unorthodox choice of materials is merely unusual, not confrontational.

radical ↗revolutionary ↗unorthodox ↗dissenting ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • iconoclastic in nature
  • iconoclastic in style
  • iconoclastic in approach

Etymology

GreekFrenchEnglish

The word comes from 'iconoclast', which was formed in the 16th century from Greek 'eikōn' (image) and '-klastēs' (breaker). It originally referred to someone in the 8th–9th century Byzantine church who opposed the use of religious images. Over time the meaning shifted from the literal breaking of images to the figurative attacking of established beliefs and institutions.