gild Definition
- 1cover thinly with gold
- 2give a specious or false brilliance to
- 3to give an attractive but often deceptive appearance to
Using gild: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "gild" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The frame of the mirror was gilded.
Example
He tried to gild his mediocre performance by claiming he had been ill.
Example
The company tried to gild its reputation by making a large donation to charity.
gild Synonyms and Antonyms
Phrases with gild
Example
The dress was already stunning, but she decided to gild the lily by adding more jewelry.
Example
The company tried to gild the pill by offering a discount to customers who had to wait for their orders.
to decorate something in an overly elaborate or ornate way
Example
The cake was already delicious, but she decided to gild the gingerbread by adding layers of frosting and sugar flowers.
Origins of gild
from Old English 'gyldan', meaning 'to gild'
Summary: gild in Brief
'Gild' [gɪld] means to cover thinly with gold or to give an attractive but often deceptive appearance to. It can be used literally, as in 'The frame of the mirror was gilded,' or figuratively, as in 'He tried to gild his mediocre performance by claiming he had been ill.' 'Gild' also appears in phrases like 'gild the lily,' which means to add unnecessary adornment to something that is already beautiful or perfect.