Gilded means covered with a thin layer of gold, or something that looks golden and beautiful on the surface but might be less impressive underneath.

When furniture makers gild a picture frame, they apply a delicate layer of real gold leaf to make it shimmer. Gilded domes top many important buildings, like state capitols, catching sunlight so they gleam for miles. Artists have gilded paintings and sculptures for thousands of years because even a whisper-thin layer of gold creates a dazzling effect.

The word also describes something that appears more valuable or perfect than it really is. Imagine biting into a chocolate that looks fancy and expensive, only to find the center tastes cheap and artificial. That chocolate is gilded: attractive on the outside, disappointing on the inside. When historians talk about America's “Gilded Age” in the late 1800s, they mean a time when the country appeared prosperous and golden, but underneath, many people struggled with poverty and unfair working conditions.

You might hear someone say a compliment feels gilded if it sounds nice but seems insincere, or that a fancy restaurant is all gilded when the expensive decor matters more than the actual food.