gelding 1 of 2

noun

Definition of geldingnext
as in mare

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gelding

2 of 2

verb

present participle of geld
as in castrating
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality by the time of the fourth rewrite, the screenplay had pretty much been gelded of all originality

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gelding
Noun
Meanwhile, a 7-year-old gelding owned by former NFL quarterback Jake Delhomme won the Grade II, $500,000 New Orleans Classic — and set a track record. — ABC News, 21 Mar. 2026 Trainer Shea Stuart's 7-year-old Cyber Secret gelding, a three-time local winner with 10 board finishes, tuned up with two races in open company. — Arkansas Online, 22 Feb. 2026
Verb
Those scenarios are plausible because college and pro sports are loaded with examples of teams gelding themselves to keep a star player happy. — Mac Engel april 16, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Apr. 2026 By gelding a choirboy, the Church would suspend his gossamer vocal cords so that a child’s song could live on in a man’s throat, backed, crucially, by a man’s powerful lungs. — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gelding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gelding
  1. mare
  2. castrating
  3. colt
  4. undermining
  5. stallion
  6. exhausting
  7. filly
  8. draining
Noun
  • Three horses have been struck by vehicles on Assateague Island this summer; two of them have died, including a beloved mare last week.
    — Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Five older fillies and mares were entered in the 61/2-furlong sprint on the main track.
    — Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of mare
Verb
  • Under colonial rule hijras were accused of acting as male prostitutes and of kidnapping and castrating children to grow their community.
    — Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
Definition of castrating
Noun
  • His son, Lloyd, nurtures Reddmare, and Lloyd’s son, Dwayne, rides Reddmare’s colt, O’Boy.
    — Deborah Johnson, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The Derby’s question is quite often decided by whichever colt or filly has the racing focus and the strength not to succumb to his or her ambient freak-out.
    — Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of colt
Verb
  • Desalination is becoming increasingly popular, especially as the climate crisis drives more severe heat and drought, undermining water security.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Western officials have repeatedly accused Moscow of conducting a campaign of sabotage and disruption in their countries with the aim of undermining support for Ukraine and destabilizing European nations, something Russia denies.
    — Claudia Ciobanu, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of undermining
Noun
  • Keene brought the 1896 Kentucky Derby winner Ben Brush to Castleton as a stallion, part of a remarkable roster of horses associated with the farm.
    — Mark David, Robb Report, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Eight years later, West Yorkshire Police’s Wildlife and Rural Crime Team found the a 13-year-old cremello stallion in Shipley, England.
    — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of stallion
Verb
  • The dispute has become even more complicated because some members of the 2022 class pursued professional opportunities after exhausting their eligibility under the previous system.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Pick up a gentler, over-the-counter retinoid that won’t irritate your more sensitive skin, and will stimulate collagen production without exhausting your cells.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of exhausting
Noun
  • Five older fillies and mares were entered in the 61/2-furlong sprint on the main track.
    — Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The Alcibiades and Jessamine are also worth watching because both are for two-year-old fillies, meaning the field is making its first serious appearance on a big stage.
    — Jill Barth, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of filly
Verb
  • Sadly, the production was a downer, draining Kushner’s masterpiece of color and humor and inserting, in their place, gloomy projections of cityscapes and, unaccountably, David Bowie songs.
    — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Use a sunny spot, well-draining soil, and regular watering to keep mint thriving.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of draining

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Cite this Entry

“Gelding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gelding. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on gelding

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gelding

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