- a variation of guild.
gild
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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gilds,
present (3rd person singular)
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gilded,
past participle, past
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gilt,
past participle, past
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gilding
present participle
-
to coat with gold, gold leaf, or a gold-colored substance.
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to give a bright, pleasing, or specious aspect to.
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Archaic. to make red, as with blood.
idioms
noun
verb
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to cover with or as if with gold
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-
to adorn unnecessarily something already beautiful
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to praise someone inordinately
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-
to give a falsely attractive or valuable appearance to
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archaic to smear with blood
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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gildsimple
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gildssimple
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have gildedperfect
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have giltperfect
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has gildedperfect
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has giltperfect
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am gildingprogressive
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are gildingprogressive
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is gildingprogressive
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have been gildingperfect progressive
-
has been gildingperfect progressive
Past
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gildedsimple
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giltsimple
-
had gildedperfect
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had giltperfect
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was gildingprogressive
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were gildingprogressive
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had been gildingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of gild
1300–50; Middle English gilden, Old English -gyldan; akin to gold
Explanation
To gild something is to cover it with gold. You gild an object in order to decorate it — or just to show off your wealth. From forks to picture frames, gilding can make objects seem ritzy, glamorous, and more valuable. However, some things in life just don’t need a coat of gold. If someone says you are “gilding the lily,” they mean that you are trying to improve on something that is already perfect.
Vocabulary lists containing gild
Animal Farm
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Grendel
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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
There are plenty of signs that the gild is coming off the lily of the most robust AI forecasts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 12, 2026
“The challenge of it was to try to go to that place but not gild the lily too much,” Scott says.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 9, 2024
If you feel you need to gild the lily, then keep working.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2023
You can gild that lily with a dollop of sour cream as well.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 13, 2022
He might gild it, but in truth it was lacking.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
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 ● Feb. 4, 2026
If I’ve got prosciutto on hand, it really gilds the lily, but it’s not necessary for a sublime tartine.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 7, 2020
We catch glimpses whenever Lee Pace, playing the automobile entrepreneur John DeLorean, gilds his ho-hum dialogue in unexpected layers of foreboding.
From New York Times ● Aug. 15, 2019
In the center of town, the hotel gilds its Native American and Spanish aesthetic with all the luxe you require.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 1, 2018
Firstly, those not willing or not able to enter one of the gilds; secondly, traders waiting to be admitted burgesses; thirdly ex-burgesses fallen from the higher state through misfortune.
From The Influence and Development of English Gilds As Illustrated by the History of the Craft Gilds of Shrewsbury by Francis Aiden Hibbert
It is fenced in and gilded, with literal gold.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
The man was not instantly recognisable, but gold medals and gilded certificates piled nearby were inscribed with the name Hussam Luka.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
On her fireplace, an ornate gilded mirror from the 1940s she found at Sunbeam Vintage is flanked by porcelain figurines.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
At the rear of the hospital, grey coffins with gilded bas-reliefs emerged before the cameras of dozens of journalists.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
Nine balconies rim its perimeter, with gilded rails and oil-black spindles that curl along each floor and twist into the shape of Belle-roses.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
The benchmark 10-year gilt for a time hovered near a 20-year high at 5.5%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
The paper says investors have signalled that the gilt market "would not be spooked" by a more modest target, adding that the Treasury and Number 10 are "actively debating" the possibility.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
Traders could demand a higher risk premium to buy the gilt, given U.K. inflation concerns due to high energy prices, and fiscal pressures, Mizuho’s Evelyne Gomez-Liechti says in a note.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
U.K. 30-year gilt yields last traded at 5.813%, trimming their earlier rise.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
Jus stares at the gilt edge around his plate.
From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone
As a color, material, and metaphor, gold has been a trademark of Trumpworld since the 1980s, a decade of excess that found Trump building and gilding various real estate holdings.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
Paramount+ has “The Madison” standout Michelle Pfeiffer and Season 2 of “Landman,” both of which could bring Emmy gilding to Taylor Sheridan’s success, plus “Dexter: Resurrection.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2026
Not many of us had “Jeffrey Epstein” or “Ghislaine Maxwell” on our bingo cards — to mix metaphors while gilding the lily.
From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2025
They were then sent for gilding and upholstery, before Mr Desnoues added designs and a wood finish.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2025
And he began writing again...and crossing out words...and writing more, while outside the sun sank lower and lower until its rays were gilding the hilltops.
From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
