gold star
Americannoun
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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.
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Informal.
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symbolic approval or recognition for outstanding merit or effort.
You get the gold star for cooking such a gourmet dinner.
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anything that represents an outstanding effort or achievement.
Her promotion was the gold star she'd been working for.
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Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of gold star
An Americanism dating back to 1920–25
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.
"I wrote 'F1 driver.' That's the shining gold star."
From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026
AI training might not be a gold star that lands you a job, but it is something you can work into your narrative.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026
She gets a gold star in my book any day.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 10, 2024
Like there’s some gold star we get for being frugal or sticking to a budget.
From Slate • Mar. 28, 2024
A gold star on the floor inside marked the spot where the manger might have been.
From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye
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.
