Skip to main content
golden

golden

348 1.8
A very successful or lucky time in a person's life
  • adjective
  • /ˈɡoʊldən/
translation icon : de oro
  • We are living in a golden age, Jem.
  • a golden opportunity
  • the golden rule
  • a golden age

And he had just, he was kind of like this Golden Boy in Sweden.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • Receiving the award was a golden moment in her career, signifying years of hard work.

  • Ray, this is supposed to be our golden years.

  • Always remember the golden rule.

  • This is your golden year.

  • 1924 to 1929 has been regarded as the golden years of the Black Metropolis.

    Academic text (1999)
  • If the 1950s were Copacabana's golden years, the 1960s belonged to Ipanema.

    Academic text (2012)
  • To Evelyn, the flood demarcated a golden age of salads and longevity.

    Academic text (2011)
  • This scholarship represents a golden opportunity for students to further their education.

  • They celebrated their tenth anniversary, marking a golden milestone in their marriage.

Synonyms

lucky
vsgolden
1.0

Having good things happen by chance

emphasizes inherent quality and promise rather than chance
fortunate
vsgolden
296 1.8

Being lucky in a situation

stresses excellence or value rather than only being lucky
glorious
vsgolden
253 3.6

Very beautiful and impressive in a way that makes people admire it

focuses more on general excellence and promising value rather than beauty
marvelous
vsgolden
  • US
251 1.8

Very good and surprising in a way that pleases people

is less about surprise and more about promise or value
favorable
vsgolden
  • US
73 3.1

Giving an advantage that makes success more likely

is about overall excellence and promise rather than mere advantage
prosperous
vsgolden
  • Archaic
3 5.1

A good sign that things will go well

is broader, meaning also excellent, valuable, or special
halcyon
vsgolden
  • Literature
3 9.6

Calm and peaceful, often describing a happy time in the past

focuses on being excellent, valuable, or promising now rather than nostalgic peace
shining
vsgolden
1 3.7

Very good in a way that people admire

is broader, adding value, promise, and good fortune

Antonyms

469 1.2

Not lucky or causing a bad result

298 3.0

Has no value or use

Idioms

To destroy a steady source of income by greedy short-term choices

Give up what is right to get money or power

Not speaking is often better than saying things you do not need to say

Compounds

26 4.1

A time when a country, the arts, or a person has great success

A rare chance to do something important

A large bright red suspension bridge in San Francisco that crosses the entrance to the bay

A large friendly dog with long golden fur often kept as a family pet

golden years
  • Informal
13 3.7

A time after you stop working for rest and enjoyment

13 3.2

A warm brown color that has a golden shine

12 4.9

A time when a country, art, or culture reaches great success and happiness

9 2.6

A narrow sea passage that connects San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean

golden goose
  • Informal
9 4.4

A thing or business that keeps making a lot of money

Golden State
  • Literature
8 3.3

A professional NBA basketball team from California called the Warriors

golden parachute
  • Specialized
6 6.8

A large payment to a top manager when they leave after a takeover

5 3.7

Treat other people as you want them to treat you

5 2.5

To treat other people the way you want them to treat you

Golden Fleece
  • Literature
4 9.9

The golden wool from a ram that Jason and his crew sought in Colchis

golden ticket
  • Informal
4 4.1

A special chance that gives a person an easy way to succeed

3 3.3

A basic idea people always follow in a particular job or activity

3 3.8

A popular song from the past that people still like

2 3.7

A large bird of prey with a golden-brown head and neck that lives in northern mountains

2 3.5

A popular nickname for the state of California from the Gold Rush

2 8.1

Something that people value too much, often money or things

A sweet yellow apple with a crisp texture and mild flavor

golden touch
  • Informal
1 5.2

A skill for making projects succeed easily

A medium sized wild dog with golden yellow fur that lives in Europe and Asia

A celebration of a 50th anniversary for a marriage or an organization

golden section
  • Specialized
1 7.5

A special way to divide a line or shape so the parts follow a fixed proportion often used in art

Money that a company pays an employee when they leave, often to encourage early retirement

golden ear
  • Jargon
1 8.7

Someone who can hear very small differences in sounds or musical notes

1 6.0

A tall garden plant with many large yellow flowers

1 7.4

A small tree with hanging clusters of yellow flowers often used in gardens and for Easter decorations

golden seal
  • Specialized
1 8.4

A plant with a thick yellow root used in herbal medicine

The 50th anniversary of a marriage, celebrated as a major milestone

1 3.9

A period of public holidays in Japan in late April and early May when many people travel

1 3.4

A thick light brown syrup made from sugar for cakes and pancakes

A warm yellow color like gold

9.9

A small evergreen shrub like the golden chinkapin that grows on mountain slopes in California

African golden wolf
  • South African
7.9

A wild dog-like animal from northern Africa related to jackals and wolves

A small garden tree with hanging groups of bright yellow flowers

little golden zinnia
  • Specialized
9.6

A small low plant with short leafy stems and small round yellow orange flowers

A wildflower that lives for many years and makes bright yellow, daisy-like flowers

7.5

A North American plant with bright yellow flowers like a daisy

A large round cactus with golden spines and pale yellow flowers often grown in gardens

A small plant with round yellow flowers and a strong smell used as a medicine

A plant with bright yellow cup-shaped flowers often grown in gardens

A small tree or bush with long clusters of bright yellow flowers

A small evergreen tree of the Pacific Coast with shiny yellow-green leaves and edible nuts

A climbing plant from China with toothed leaves and large yellow flowers used in gardens

8.8

A marsh plant that has blue-green leaves and a club-shaped yellow flower spike

An annual plant with yellow flowers that grows in dry parts of the southwestern United States and Mexico

golden ager
  • Archaic
6.8

A person who is older and usually retired

golden algae
  • Specialized
6.9

Very small living things in water that look golden because of their colored parts

A rough grey-green plant with yellow flowers that lives for one year in the US southwest and Mexico

9.9

A plant from Mexico with bright yellow cup-shaped flowers and blue-grey divided leaves

golden duck
  • Jargon
9.0

Being out for zero runs on the first ball a batsman faces in cricket

golden gram
  • Indian
7.1

A small green seed from the mung bean plant that is eaten or sprouted

A weedy plant with bright yellow flowers that often spreads quickly

A small light brown pet animal that people keep in a cage

A North American plant that stays green all year and has small yellow flowers

7.1

A large cash bonus given to a new employee to join a company

A plant that lives for many years with bright yellow flowers that attract bees and butterflies

A Mongol army that invaded and ruled parts of eastern Europe and Russia in the 1200s and 1300s

A plant that lives for many years with tall stems and bright yellow flowers

golden everlasting
  • Australian
8.7

A small Australian plant with bright yellow flowers used as dried decoration

A plant from northern California with groups of bright yellow egg-shaped flowers

9.4

A fern from warm places with golden leaves that people grow for decoration

9.4

A tree that starts on another tree and grows thick roots over rocks and buildings

A Chinese tree like a larch with bright yellow leaves in autumn

golden maidenhair
  • Specialized
9.6

A small fern with bright yellow-green leaves that grows close to the ground

A yellow mushroom with a bright golden cap that grows on rotting wood

A medium-sized water bird with golden yellow spots on its back

A fern with large, deeply divided leaves that often grows on rocks or indoors

An evergreen climbing plant with green leaves streaked with yellow

A small yellowish animal from West African forests that is active at night and eats insects and fruit

A wild plant with golden-yellow flowers that often grows like a weed

How Valuable

golden
348 1.8
great
1.0
good
1.0

Surface Forms

golden positive

Morphology

golden = gold (semi-transparent) = gold + en

The figurative sense 'very good/valuable' is a metaphorical extension from 'gold' and may not be fully predictable to all learners.

Etymology

Golden comes from the old word gold, the most valued metal, so it is used to mean 'very good', 'valuable', or 'fortunate', as in a 'gold medal' for first place or someone's 'golden' years.