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

Diners can enjoy a modern interpretation of Turkish cuisine indoors amid the gilded decor or on the breezy terrace overlooking the Bosphorus. —Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025

This time around, Faracy wore a gilded replica of the look, consisting of a gold corset with a gold cone bra, an assortment of gold chains, gold hoop earrings, and a gold hairpiece adorning her high ponytail. —Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025

Among Russian women, there was a desperate desire to launch oneself into this gilded stratosphere, which could only be accomplished by snaring a man who hovered there. —Julia Ioffe, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025

Amid the opulent and gilded gowns, Clooney stood out. —Michel Mejía, Vogue, 15 Oct. 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