gilded cage

1. To be like “a bird in a gilded cage” is to live in luxury but without freedom: “Because the movie star could not go out without being recognized and pursued, she stayed in her penthouse, living like a bird in a gilded cage.”

Idioms and Phrases

The encumbrances or limitations that often accompany material wealth, as in She had furs, jewelry, whatever money could buy, but was trapped in a gilded cage . This metaphoric expression indicating that riches cannot buy happiness was popularized (and possibly coined) in a song, “A Bird in a Gilded Cage” (1990; lyrics by Arthur J. Lamb, music by Harry von Tilzer), about a young girl marrying for wealth instead of love and paying for luxury with a life of regret.

Example Sentences

Even in 1999, this gilded cage of a cushy but unstimulating white-collar career was only available to certain people.

From The Daily Beast

Like balloons, the birds were meant to be able to carry a human aloft in a gilded cage.

From The Daily Beast

From the roof hung a gilded cage containing turtle doves, quite white, with a black ring round their necks.

From Project Gutenberg

The lace-hung windows were broad, sunny and many paned, and a gilded cage flashed back the light in one of them.

From Project Gutenberg

Is she alive, is she dead, does she iver dhream iv him as she ates her hay an' rubs her back agin th' bars iv her gilded cage?

From Project Gutenberg

The twittering canary is going to hop out of the gilded cage, and build her own nest.

From Project Gutenberg

But I've been getting tireder and tireder of being the twittering canary in the gilded cage.

From Project Gutenberg