gold star

See more synonyms for gold star on Thesaurus.com

noun

a gold-colored star displayed, as on a service flag, to indicate that a member of one's family, organization, or the like, was killed in war as a member of the armed forces.
Informal.
1. symbolic approval or recognition for outstanding merit or effort: You get the gold star for cooking such a gourmet dinner.
2. anything that represents an outstanding effort or achievement: Her promotion was the gold star she'd been working for.

Origin of gold star

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25

Related formsgold-star, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for gold star

trophy, jackpot, crown, championship, advantage, gold, title, bonus, payoff, citation, purse, windfall, accolade, bounty, dividend, reward, medal, honor, inducement, scholarship

Examples from the Web for gold star

Contemporary Examples of gold star

I think his inauguration is a gold-star day in the annals of American history.
Downhill After His Election
Douglas Brinkley
January 19, 2010

Historical Examples of gold star

What had the gold-star mothers of Western City to say to this?
They Call Me Carpenter
Upton Sinclair
More than likely those seats will be reserved for the gold-star mothers—those who have lost their sons in battle.
The Rover Boys in the Land of Luck
Edward Stratemeyer