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

Six feet tall, richly embossed, enhanced with jewels, crowned with a gilded cross and bearing a dozen gilded angels, it was commissioned by the Spanish king Philip IV, who died before delivery.

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The mask sits surrounded by personal belongings, gilded tools, family heirlooms and funerary statues.

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Away from the gilded hallways, “SNL” skewered the design sense of both Trumps.

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He represented a gilded, aspirational figure to over half of voters.

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He represented a gilded, aspirational figure to over half of voters.

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Related Words

• luxurious 
• ornate