gilded

adjective

gild·​ed ˈgil-dəd 

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

Examples of gilded in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The following week, that statue was replaced with one of a golden bald eagle perched on a gilded television set, which played a continuous loop of Trump dancing. —Rachel Treisman, NPR, 24 Sep. 2025

Unlike the gilded installation of the president unveiled last week that praised his support of cryptocurrency, this most recent statue is not of the flattering sort. —Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 23 Sep. 2025

Crafted in Ireland, the coach features dark brown panels adorned with golden scrollwork and a gilded roof, offering shelter from the light rain falling over Berkshire. —Amanda Castro hannah Parry shane Croucher jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025

Kkxiu Shoulder Bag Take a page out of Lohan’s style book with this burgundy purse, which features a similar front flap, curved silhouette, and gilded hardware. —Jamie Allison Sanders, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of gild entry 1

First Known Use

1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for gilded

• builded