Synonyms of gilded
1
: covered or tinged with gold or a golden color
gilded icons
The reception room, just off the entryway, features colorful wall and ceiling decorations and a gilded overmantel mirror and matching cornices.Stephen May
2
: having a background of wealth and luxury : prosperous, luxurious
Emily Post was raised among New York's gilded elite.Susan Berfield
… despite the upper-crust background and the gilded résumé, Bonham Carter is a pretty modern chick off stage.Elizabeth Gleick

gilded

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of gild entry 1

Examples of gilded in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
The bathroom brings that rich blue into focus with its gilded vanity and various textures. Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 26 Aug. 2026 The movie trots along like an obliging corgi pup; TV director Gregor and DP Zac Nicholson give it a gilded mark of quality. Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 Aug. 2026 Lord of the Rings alum and current SAG-AFTRA president Sean Astin learned that lesson the hard way, coming up under the gilded wing of Hollywood legend Patty Duke. Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026 The commission also recommended, as an alternative, shortening the arch itself while making the gilded statue even taller—a compromise that would leave the arch squat beneath a top-heavy sculpture. Janay Kingsberry, The Atlantic, 19 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for gilded

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from past participle of gild entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gilded was in 1540

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Cite this Entry

“Gilded.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gilded. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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