The word "gilded" is spelled with a "g" followed by the letters "i-l-d-e-d." The "g" sound is pronounced as the voiced velar stop consonant /ɡ/. The "i" is pronounced as the long vowel sound /aɪ/. The "l" is pronounced as the consonant sound /l/. The "d" is pronounced as the voiced alveolar plosive consonant /d/. Finally, the "e-d" is pronounced as the voiced dental fricative consonant /ð/. The word means covered or coated with a thin layer of gold or made to appear more attractive than it really is.
Gilded is an adjective that describes a thing or an object that has been covered or adorned with a thin layer of gold. This term can also refer to a process or technique used to apply this gold layer, such as gilding. The application of gold onto surfaces adds a luxurious and decorative aspect to the object, enhancing its visual appeal. Gilding has been practiced since ancient times and is commonly found in various art forms, such as paintings, sculptures, furniture, and architecture.
In a figurative sense, the term gilded can be used to describe something that appears wealthy, prosperous, or prestigious on the surface, but may have a less glamorous reality. This usage is derived from the phrase "gilded age," which refers to the period in America's late 19th century characterized by rapid economic growth and industrialization, but also marked by inequalities and social problems. Therefore, when something is described as gilded, it suggests a superficial or ornamental appearance that may not accurately reflect its true nature or value.
Gilded can also be used metaphorically to describe words or actions that are elegant, flowery, or overly ornate, but may lack depth or substance. In this context, gilded implies a superficiality or insincerity in the language or behavior.
Overall, gilded relates to the concepts of gold, luxury, ornamentation, and surface appearances, both in a tangible and metaphorical sense. It captures the idea of something being visually enhanced or superficially adorned, often with an underlying connotation of extravagance or shallowness.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "gilded" originated from the Middle English term "gilden" or "gildan", which comes from the Old English word "gyldan". In turn, this Old English word can be traced back to the Germanic word "gulthian" or "gulthjan". It ultimately finds its root in the Proto-Germanic word "gulthōną", meaning "to gild" or "to cover with gold".