A sex symbol or icon is a person or character widely considered sexually attractive and often synonymous with sexuality.

The term sex symbol was first used in the 1910s and 1920s to describe the first emerging film stars. Movie studios have relied heavily on the looks and sex appeal of their actors to attract audiences. The use of this concept increased during World War II. Sex symbols could be male as well as female: actors such as the romantic Sessue Hayakawa and the athletic Douglas Fairbanks were popular in the 1910s and 1920s. Archetypal screen lover Rudolph Valentino's death in 1926 caused mass hysteria among his female fans.

Silent film actor Rudolph Valentino is regarded as the first screen sex symbol. His film The Sheik (1921), in which he portrays an Arab sheikh, established his reputation across the world as a major sex symbol. Silent film actress Theda Bara was one of Hollywood's first sex symbols. In the 1950s, Dorothy Dandridge's performance as the seductive Carmen in Carmen Jones made her Hollywood's first African-American sex symbol. The "bad boy" image of the 1950s was epitomized by sex symbols such as James Dean and Marlon Brando, and women like Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, Mamie Van Doren and French superstar Brigitte Bardot were seen as the archetype of the blonde bombshell. Other Hollywood actresses that were considered sex symbols include Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, Audrey Hepburn, and Raquel Welch. Until the 1950s the sex symbol was seen as just a sexual ideal, but in the 1960s it was seen as a symbol of the emancipation of sexuality with the sexual revolution.

Popular Asian stars such as Sessue Hayakawa and Bruce Lee were considered sex symbols in Hollywood. In the late 1980s and 1990s, martial artist and actor Jean-Claude Van Damme was considered a sex symbol. Another popular sex symbol of the 1980s was actor Jon-Erik Hexum. In the 1990s, Pamela Anderson gained international recognition for her starring role of "C.J." Parker on the action drama series Baywatch, further cementing her status as a sex symbol. Similarly, co-star Carmen Electra also became a sex symbol following her fame on Baywatch. Also in the 20th century, actors such as Brad Pitt were considered sex symbols. In the 21st century, Hollywood stars such as Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, Denzel Washington, Megan Fox, and Jessica Alba have been described as sex symbols.

In the Arab world, Hind Rostom was considered a sex symbol from a golden era of Egyptian cinema. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Amy Yip was one of the leading sex symbols of Hong Kong cinema. Also in the 1990s, actress Ellen Chan was one of Hong Kong's most iconic sex symbols. In Hispanic media, Mexican actor Fernando Colunga is frequently referred as a sex symbol due to his telenovela roles in the 1990s. In Indian cinema, stars such as Sharmila Tagore, Zeenat Aman, Parveen Babi, Dimple Kapadia, Mallika Sherawat, Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit, and Bipasha Basu were leading sex symbols.

Musicians such as Shakira, Maluma, and Madonna have been described as sex symbols.

Lebanese singer Haifa Wehbe is regarded as the biggest sex symbol in the Arabic pop scene.

Hungarian pianist Franz Liszt was regarded as a celebrity and sex symbol in the 19th century.