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

There's no gilded frame surrounding it. —Heather Bien, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2026

Jessica Biel made a gilded appearance at the Critics Choice Awards 2026 on January 4. —Meg Walters, InStyle, 4 Jan. 2026

Diners sit underneath a shower of bespoke crystal raindrops that sparkle against dark marble walls, gilded mirrors, and floor-to-ceiling shelving sculpted out of raw wood by French artist Jean-Guillaume Mathia. —Chrissie McClatchie, Travel + Leisure, 19 Dec. 2025

With notes of pear, aldehydes, jasmine, rose, vanilla, and musk, the perfume comes in a smoky gray bottle with a gilded top. —Jenny Berg, Vogue, 22 Nov. 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