Gilded
adjective /ˈɡɪl.dɪd/ — Covered thinly with gold; beautiful on the surface, hollow beneath.
Definition
Covered with a thin layer of gold or gold paint. Metaphorically, something gilded appears beautiful, valuable, or glittering on the surface while concealing a less admirable reality. 'Gilded' carries the suggestion of superficiality — gold leaf over base metal.
Beyond the definition
To gild something is to honour it with gold — but also to hide it. The gilded age, the gilded cage, the gilded truth. Beauty that conceals is a kind of lie, however lovely.
Origin & history
Old English: 'gyldan' (to cover with gold). Related to 'gold'. The 'Gilded Age' — coined by Mark Twain — described America's late 19th-century era of ostentatious wealth over hollow values.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The gilded frame drew attention to the painting, but also suggested a world that valued display over depth.
She lived in a gilded cage — everything beautiful, nothing free.
The gilded promises of the campaign dissolved within months of the election.
How to use it
This entry uses an adjective. Follow the examples for the nouns it describes and its position in the sentence.
Choose “Gilded” when the meaning fits your context: Covered with a thin layer of gold or gold paint. Metaphorically, something gilded appears beautiful, valuable, or glittering on the surface while concealing a less admirable reality. 'Gilded' carries the suggestion of superficiality — gold leaf over base metal.
Synonyms
gold-covered, burnished, ornamented, gleaming
Antonyms
tarnished, austere, plain
Related words
Gilded vs gold-plated
Gilded is an elegant term for something covered in a thin layer of gold, often implying superficial beauty. Gold-plated is a neutral, industrial term for the same process.
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Gold Surface Over Imperfection
A ceramic artist repairs a broken bowl with thin, visible gold seams.
The gold represents a veneer that covers the repair. While beautiful, the gold serves to highlight that it sits over base or broken material, capturing the essence of the 'gilded' appearance—superficial beauty over a reality.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Gilded" mean?
Gilded is adjective meaning: Covered thinly with gold; beautiful on the surface, hollow beneath.. Covered with a thin layer of gold or gold paint. Metaphorically, something gilded appears beautiful, valuable, or glittering on the surface while concealing a less admirable reality. 'Gilded' carries the suggestion of superficiality — gold leaf over base metal.
Where does the word "Gilded" come from?
Old English: 'gyldan' (to cover with gold). Related to 'gold'. The 'Gilded Age' — coined by Mark Twain — described America's late 19th-century era of ostentatious wealth over hollow values.