What does "goldbrick" mean?
Something fraudulent or nonexistent offered for sale; a swindle or con.
Goldbrick
noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Something fraudulent or nonexistent offered for sale; a swindle or con.
- Grammar: goldbrick is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: abandon, boiler room, bucket shop, bum.
- Useful contrasts: arduous, assiduous, demanding.
- Usage evidence: Experience is the biggest gold brick in the world. All older people have it for sale.
How to use "goldbrick"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "goldbrick" 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 "goldbrick" 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 "goldbrick" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "goldbrick" 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 "goldbrick" is acting as noun, verb, slang 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 "abandon" 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 "goldbrick", 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 Something fraudulent or nonexistent offered for sale; a swindle or con.
"Experience is the biggest gold brick in the world. All older people have it for sale."
- 2 anything that is supposed to be valuable but turns out to be worthless wordnet
- 3 A shirker or malingerer. US, dated, slang
"Mac, there’s not a confounded thing wrong with you. You are an excellent physical specimen and in good health. You’re nothing but a goldbrick. Now, get your butt out of here and don’t ever come back again unless you’re really sick or need an immunization."
- 4 a brick-shaped block that looks like gold but is not wordnet
- 5 A swindler. US, dated, slang
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 an idle worthless person wordnet
- 7 a soldier who performs their duties without proper care or effort wordnet
Verb
- 1 To shirk or malinger. US, dated, slang
"I'd just as soon goldbrick with malaria as with anything else."
- 2 avoid (one's assigned duties) wordnet
- 3 To swindle. US, dated, slang
- 4 deprive of by deceit wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Experience is the biggest gold brick in the world. All older people have it for sale."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "goldbrick"?
Common synonyms include: abandon, boiler room, bucket shop, bum, bunco, bunco game.
How do you use "goldbrick" in a sentence?
Experience is the biggest gold brick in the world. All older people have it for sale.
Etymology
From gold + brick, originally (1850s) an actual gold ingot or brick, later a swindle that consisted of selling a putative gold brick, which was only coated in gold. The swindle is attested from 1879, the sense “to swindle” is attested 1902, and the sense “to shirk” is attested 1914, popularized as World War I armed forces slang. In early 1900s, used to refer to an unattractive young woman – not pretty, nor able to talk or dance (attested 1903), thence to refer to incompetent enlisted troops at the start of World War I, reinforced by the rank insignia of second lieutenants, which was a gold rectangle.