1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

gelding 1 of 2

noun

Definition of geldingnext
as in mare

Related Words

Relevance

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
  • The standardbred-Friesian mare is currently undergoing treatment and is believed to be unvaccinated, according to state officials.
    — Karma Sabbah, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The mares are now shunning poor Valentine, which Puckett hopes is only temporary.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 15 Sep. 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
  • The quarter horse colt was not fully vaccinated, MDARD reported.
    — Kristen Jordan Shamus, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • His son, Lloyd, nurtures Reddmare, and Lloyd’s son, Dwayne, rides Reddmare’s colt, O’Boy.
    — Deborah Johnson, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of colt
Verb
  • For undermining traditional religious authority, he was eventually sentenced to death.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Partying, drinking, Greek life, sports, and other forms of college life always risked undermining the educational project—and vice versa.
    — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of undermining
Noun
  • The stallion gallops onto the field every time the team scores a touchdown, adding to the reverberating noise of fans hooting and hollering in the stands.
    — Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
  • In the past few seasons, the German stallion has lit up the world of show jumping with his powerful jumps, striking presence and unusual bloodline.
    — Danielle Rossingh, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of stallion
Verb
  • Commanders should seek positional advantages without exhausting their soldiers, manipulate the enemy’s movements when possible, and recognize when circumstances make pursuit or attack unwise.
    — Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026
  • 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
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
  • Every night before dinner, my father would perform this ritual—rinsing and draining, then setting the pot in the cooker.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
  • In fact, many expensive features can turn into money pits, draining your budget without adding any resale appeal.
    — Angelika Pokovba, Martha Stewart, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of draining

Browse Nearby Words

gelded
gelding
geldings
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gelding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gelding. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on gelding

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gelding

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compendious

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All