What does "gild" mean?
Archaic spelling of guild.
Gild
/ɡɪld/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Archaic spelling of guild.
- Grammar: gild is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: adorn, apply paint, aurify, bedaub.
- Useful contrasts: bare, deglorify, uncoat.
- Usage evidence: One can never gild shit so it does not smell.
How to use "gild"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "gild" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "gild" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "gild" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "gild" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "gild" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "adorn" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "gild", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Archaic spelling of guild. alt-of, archaic
"No trade gild might be started without the consent of the whole body of hanasters, who would insist that the regulations were not harmful to the burgesses as a whole; […]"
- 2 a formal association of people with similar interests wordnet
Verb
- 1 To cover with a thin layer of gold; to cover with gold leaf. transitive
"High above the city, on a tall column, stood the statue of the Happy Prince. He was gilded all over with thin leaves of fine gold, for eyes he had two bright sapphires, and a large red ruby glowed on his sword-hilt."
- 2 decorate with, or as if with, gold leaf or liquid gold wordnet
- 3 To adorn. transitive
"I will make fast the doors, and gild myself With some more ducats, and be with you straight."
- 4 To decorate with a golden surface appearance. transitive
"Gild the entire outside with beaten egg yolk, and sprinkle it with grated parmesan."
- 5 To give a bright or pleasing aspect to. transitive
"When sparkling stars twire not, thou gild'st the even."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 To give a brilliant colour or flush to one's face; (also) to make appear drunk. transitive
"[Alonso] And Trinculo is reeling-ripe: vvhere sſhould they Finde this grand Liquor that hath gilded'em? Hovv cam'ſt thou in this pickle?"
Antonyms
Example
"One can never gild shit so it does not smell."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "gild"?
Common synonyms include: adorn, apply paint, aurify, bedaub, bedecked, bedizen.
How do you use "gild" in a sentence?
One can never gild shit so it does not smell.
How do you pronounce "gild"?
Pronounced /ɡɪld/.
Etymology
From Middle English gilden, gulden, from Old English gyldan (“to gild, to cover with a thin layer of gold”), from Proto-West Germanic *gulþijan, from Proto-Germanic *gulþijaną, from Proto-Germanic *gulþą (“gold”).