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to gild

to gild

5 7.0
Cover an object with a thin layer of gold or metal that looks like gold
  • verb
  • /ɡɪld/
translation icon : dorarse
  • But properly conserved, the painting is gilded once again.
  • payment for gilding
  • final payment for gilding

But properly conserved, the painting is gilded once again.

Examples

  • Now, in this frame, the edges and the sides were painted with gold paint, whereas the front and all the ornamentation was gilded with real gold.

  • The artist decided to gild the edges of the painting for added beauty.

  • The vast doors were gilded, so remarkably was every bronze shingle on the roof.

  • The Emperor bathed in perfumed oil, dissolved pearls in his drinks and gilded the food served at his banquets on Lake Nemi, just outside Rome.

  • You can gild a simple frame to make it look more elegant.

  • They used special paint to gild the picture frames in the gallery.

Synonyms

to gold-plate
vsto gild
  • Specialized
2 5.5

To put a thin layer of gold on something

is the general process of covering with a thin gold or goldlike layer
to engild
vsto gild
  • Archaic
9.9

To cover something with gold or thin gold leaf

is said specifically of applying a thin gold or goldlike layer
to begild
vsto gild
  • Archaic
9.9

To put thin gold or gold leaf on something

is broader and covers any thin gold or goldlike coating
to goldplate
vsto gild
  • Specialized
6.5

To cover an object with a thin layer of gold

is the general act of adding a thin gold or goldlike layer
to aurify
vsto gild
9.9

To make something look golden

is about physically adding a thin gold layer rather than only changing color

Antonyms

42 2.7

Remove all covering or contents from an object so it is left bare

Idioms

to gild the lily
  • Informal
2 8.8

To make unneeded changes to something already beautiful

How Golden

to gold-plate
  • Specialized
2 5.5
to gild
5 7.0

Surface Forms

gild infinitive
gilded past
gilded past participle
gilding present participle
gilds third person singular

Etymology

The word gild comes from an old word for gold, so to gild something is to 'cover it with gold' or make it shine like gold.