gild

¹ American  

[gild] / gɪld /

verb (used with object)

gilded, gilt, gilding

1. to coat with gold, gold leaf, or a gold-colored substance.

2. to give a bright, pleasing, or specious aspect to.

3. Archaic. to make red, as with blood.

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idioms

1. gild the lily, to add unnecessary ornamentation, a special feature, etc., in an attempt to improve something that is already complete, satisfactory, or ideal.

   After that wonderful meal, serving a fancy dessert would be gilding the lily.

gild ² American  

[gild] / gɪld /

noun

1. guild.

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gild ¹ British  

/ ɡɪld /

verb

1. to cover with or as if with gold

2. 1. to adorn unnecessarily something already beautiful

   2. to praise someone inordinately

3. to give a falsely attractive or valuable appearance to

4. archaic to smear with blood

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gild ² British  

/ ɡɪld /

noun

1. a variant spelling of guild

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Other Word Forms

• gildable adjective
• gilder noun
• gildsman noun

Etymology

Origin of gild

1300–50; Middle English gilden, Old English -gyldan; akin to gold

Example Sentences

As an aide hovers, reminding Mr. Walesa that he must depart soon for his next appointment, I ask about a gilded statuette that sits on a table next to him.

From The Wall Street Journal

The chumminess among some of the gilded people in Epstein’s circle has landed at an acutely populist moment.

From The Wall Street Journal

The way O’Hara gilds this line’s delivery with a wistful sparkle feels true because we’ve seen her spin such treasure playing all kinds of would-be topliners with an amiable, delicious amount of lunacy.

From Salon

The restaurant is unapologetically gilded, from the walls to the Japanese kintsugi–inspired plates, which reference the tradition of repairing broken pottery with gold.

From Salon

I land, rump first, on what appears to be a gilded box owned by a pinch-faced peacock of a woman.

From Literature

Related Words

• adorn
• bedeck