gild

1 of 2

verb

ˈgild 

gilded ˈgil-dəd  or gilt ˈgilt  ; gilding

transitive verb

1

: to overlay with or as if with a thin covering of gold

2

a

: to give money to

b

: to give an attractive but often deceptive appearance to

was hired to gild the company's image

c

archaic : to make bloody

gilder noun

gild

2 of 2

noun

less common spelling of guild

1

: an association of people with similar interests or pursuits

especially : a medieval association of merchants or craftsmen

2

: a group of organisms that use the same ecological resource in a similar way

a feeding guild

Phrases

gild the lily

: to add unnecessary ornamentation to something beautiful in its own right

Examples of gild in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The massive musical stars Cynthia Erivo as magical young woman Elphaba, who is misunderstood because of her unusual green skin and has yet to discover her true power, and Ariana Grande as popular young woman Glinda, who is gilded by privilege and ambition and has yet to discover her true heart. —Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 15 Dec. 2024

The gold grass Is gilded with dew on our morning drives in a grumbling open-sided Land Cruiser. —Nicole Trilivas, Travel + Leisure, 8 Dec. 2024

Noun

Damaged gilds the lily, casting-wise, with John Hannah, delivering sterling supporting work as a chief suspect whose alibi would seem to clear him. —Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Apr. 2024

Luxurious Eyeshadow Guerlain’s gorgeous shadow quartet defines and gilds lids with silky, wearable hues in a range of finishes (matte, satin, pearl, metallic) and neutral and bold color palettes. —Good Housekeeping, 20 Apr. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English gyldan; akin to Old English gold gold

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

gild

1 of 2 verb

ˈgild 

gilded ˈgil-dəd  or gilt ˈgilt  ; gilding

: to cover with or as if with a coating of gold

gilder noun

gild

2 of 2

variant of guild