gilded

[gil-did]

adjective

1. covered or highlighted with gold or something of a golden color.

2. having a pleasing or showy appearance that conceals something of little worth.

Other Word Forms

• nongilded adjective
• ungilded adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gilded¹

before 1000; gild ¹ + -ed ²; replacing Middle English gild, Old English gegyld

Example Sentences

But for Belgravia's gilded set, being told to leave the rarefied streets and return to a supposedly less desirable part of the English capital cuts deep.

From BBC

Here she sang it while standing in a glittering mermaid gown that seemed to make it impossible for her to move — some kind of metaphor for the gilded cage of a celebrity romance.

From Los Angeles Times

In images shared by Russian outlets, the two men - who have met several times before - were seen smiling and shaking hands in a gilded hall.

From BBC

But where else would you find a gilded temple floating in the middle of one of the city’s most frenzied intersections?

From Los Angeles Times

In the decade since his descent down a gilded escalator — and emergence as the most dominant and consequential political figure of the 21st century — Trump has proven himself a peerless master of distraction and deflection.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• luxurious 
• ornate