Meaning & use
gold-plated
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Covered with a thin layer of gold.
Grammar: Usually comes before a noun: a gold-plated ring. It can also follow a linking verb: the ring is gold-plated.
Patterns
- a gold-plated something
- be gold-plated
She wore a gold-plated necklace that looked expensive but cost very little.
The trophy is gold-plated, not solid gold.
He keeps his gold-plated watch in a small box.
adjectivebefore a noundisapprovingfigurative
Seeming better or more valuable than it really is; unnecessarily expensive or luxurious.
Grammar: Used mainly before a noun to criticize something as showy or excessive.
Patterns
- a gold-plated something
- gold-plated benefits
Critics called the plan a gold-plated project that wasted public money.
The company offered gold-plated pensions that it could not afford.
Voters disliked the gold-plated offices and private jets.
Common combinations
- gold-plated jewelry
- The store sells gold-plated jewelry at reasonable prices.
- gold-plated watch
- His gold-plated watch stopped working after a year.
- gold-plated pension
- The newspaper criticized the gold-plated pension scheme.
- gold-plated contract
- Union leaders defended the gold-plated contract as fair.
- solid gold
- Real solid gold costs far more than a gold-plated item.
Synonyms and how they differ
- gilded
- 'Gilded' also means covered with gold, but it sounds literary or formal and often suggests something showy.
- gold-colored
- 'Gold-colored' means it looks gold but says nothing about real gold being used.
- luxurious
- 'Luxurious' describes comfort and expense in general and does not involve gold at all.
Opposites
Word family
- gold plate noun
- a thin layer of gold, or objects covered with such a layer
- plated adjective
- covered with a thin layer of metal, as in silver-plated
Commonly confused: gold-plated or gold-plated vs. solid gold?
gold-plated vs gold-plated vs. solid gold
Gold-plated means only a thin gold coating over a cheaper metal. Solid gold means the whole object is gold and is far more valuable.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'gold-plated' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Gold-plated' means a thin gold coating over another metal. It is not solid gold, it can still shine, and it is usually lighter and cheaper than solid gold.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “gold-plated”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.