gilded

UK: /ˈgɪldɪd/ US: (gil′did)

From the verb gild: (⇒ conjugate)

gilded is: ⓘ

v past

v past p

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

gild•ed  (gil′did), adj. 

1. covered or highlighted with gold or something of a golden color.
2. having a pleasing or showy appearance that conceals something of little worth.

• bef. 1000; gild¹ + -ed²; replacing Middle English gild, Old English gegyld

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

gild¹ /gɪld/   v. [~ + object] , gild•ed or gilt/gɪlt/  gild•ing. 

1. to coat with gold, gold leaf, or a gold-colored substance.

Idioms

2. Idioms gild the lily, to add unnecessary ornamental details to something already of great beauty.

gild•er, n. [countable]
gild•ing, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

gild¹  (gild), v.t., gild•ed or gilt, gild•ing. 

1. to coat with gold, gold leaf, or a gold-colored substance.
2. to give a bright, pleasing, or specious aspect to.
3. [Archaic.] to make red, as with blood.
4. Idioms gild the lily, to add unnecessary ornamentation, a special feature, etc., in an attempt to improve something that is already complete, satisfactory, or ideal:
   After that wonderful meal, serving a fancy dessert would be gilding the lily.

• 1300–50; Middle English gilden, Old English -gyldan; akin to gold

gild′a•ble, adj. 

gild²  (gild), n. 

1. World History guild.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

gild / ɡɪld/ verb (gilds, gilding, gilded, gilt / ɡɪlt/)(transitive)

1. to cover with or as if with gold
2. gild the lily ⇒ to adorn unnecessarily something already beautiful
3. to praise someone inordinately
4. to give a falsely attractive or valuable appearance to

Etymology: Old English gyldan, from gold gold; related to Old Norse gylla, Middle High German vergülden

ˈgilder noun

gild / ɡɪld/ noun

1. a variant spelling of guild2