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

Step into gilded grandeur where opera meets history. —Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026

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

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