golden

See also: Golden

English

WOTD – 19 February 2010

Alternative forms

• goulden (obsolete)

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈɡəʊl.dən/, [ˈɡɒʊ̯ɫ.dn̩]
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈɡoʊl.dən/, [ˈɡəɫ.dn̩]

• Audio (California):

  (file)

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊldən
• Hyphenation: gol‧den

Etymology 1

From Middle English golden, a restored form (due to the noun gold) of earlier Middle English gulden, gylden, gilden ("golden"; > English gilden), from Old English gylden (“golden”), from Proto-West Germanic *gulþīn, from Proto-Germanic *gulþīnaz (“golden, made of gold”), equivalent to gold +‎ -en.

Cognate with Dutch gouden, gulden (“golden”), German gülden, golden (“golden”), Danish gylden (“golden”). Doublet of gilden. More at gold.

Adjective

golden (comparative more golden or goldener, superlative most golden or goldenest)

1. Made of, or relating to, gold.

   She wore a golden crown.

   • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling:

     And now the concern which Partridge felt at being obliged to quit the warm chimney-corner, and a cup of excellent liquor, was somewhat compensated by hearing that he was to proceed no farther on foot, for Jones, by golden arguments, had prevailed with the boy to attend him back to the inn whither he had before conducted Sophia […]

2. Having a color or other richness suggestive of gold.

   Under a golden sun.

   golden:  

3. Of a beverage, flavoured or colored with turmeric. [from c. 2010]
4. Marked by prosperity, creativity etc.

   The Renaissance was a golden era.

   the Golden Horseshoe

   • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:

     O Partridge! could I hope once again to see that face; but, alas! all those golden dreams are vanished for ever, and my only refuge from future misery is to forget the object of all my former happiness.

5. Advantageous or very favourable.

   This is a golden opportunity

   • 2011 October 20, Jamie Lillywhite, “Tottenham 1 - 0 Rubin Kazan”, in BBC Sport‎^[1]:

     ... a seasoned Champions League outfit, who beat Barcelona at the Nou Camp in 2009-10 and continually worked their way between the home defence to create some golden opportunities.

6. Relating to a fiftieth anniversary.

   It's not long until our golden wedding.

7. Relating to the elderly or retired.

   After retiring, Bob and Judy moved to Arizona to live out their golden years.

8. (UK, slang, predicative) Fine, without problems.
   • 2007, Colin Barr, Steve Katai, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Triathlon Training, Penguin, →ISBN, page 28:

     Many anti-fog variety goggles are available, but if you don't get that type, just rub a little spit on the lenses before you put them on in the water and you'll be golden.

   • 2009, Mark Wiskup, Presentation S.O.S.: From Perspiration to Persuasion in 9 Easy Steps, Hachette UK, →ISBN:

     Therefore, the task ahead is easy. When the spotlight is on you, never let the audience down and you'll be golden.

   • 2011, Wayne R. Dempsey, 101 Projects for Your Porsche Boxster, Motorbooks, →ISBN, page 68:

     If all of the marks line up perfectly, then you're golden, and you can continue on with finishing up the installation.

Synonyms

• (color of or like gold): see goldish § Synonyms

Derived terms

• a golden key can open any door
• American golden plover
• Asian golden cat
• Asiatic golden cat
• Eurasian golden plover
• golden age
• golden ager
• golden-ager
• golden Alexanders
• golden alexanders
• golden alga
• golden anniversary
• golden arches
• golden aster
• golden balls
• golden bamboo
• Golden Banana
• golden bandicoot
• golden BB
• golden beardgrass
• golden beetle
• golden berry
• golden-billed saltator
• golden billion
• golden boot
• golden boy
• golden-breasted fulvetta
• golden brown
• golden bull
• golden calf
• goldencarpet
• golden chain
• golden-chain
• golden-chain tree
• golden chain tree
• golden-cheeked warbler
• golden child
• golden chinquapin
• golden club
• golden-collared honeycreeper
• golden-collared manakin
• golden conebush
• golden contact
• golden crab
• Golden Crescent
• golden-crested wren
• golden-crowned spadebill
• golden cup
• golden currant
• golden cypress
• Golden Delicious
• golden dewdrop
• golden doodle
• golden duck
• golden dyssodia
• golden eagle
• golden egg
• golden egg bug
• golden era
• goldeneye
• golden-eyed
• golden falcon name
• Golden Fleece
• golden fruit dove
• Golden Gate Bridge
• golden girl
• golden glow
• golden goal
• golden goodbye
• golden goose
• golden grease
• golden-haired
• golden hamster
• golden handcuffs
• golden handshake
• golden hawksbeard
• golden-headed cisticola
• golden hello
• Golden Horde
• Golden Horn
• Golden Horseshoe
• Golden Horus name
• golden hour
• golden image
• golden jackal
• golden jade
• golden jubilee
• golden kelp
• golden king crab
• golden larch
• golden lion tamarin
• golden marcasite
• golden master
• golden mean
• golden milk
• golden mole
• golden monkey
• golden-naped finch
• golden nematode
• golden number
• golden oldie
• golden opinions
• golden opportunity
• golden oriole
• golden palace monkey
• golden parachute
• golden passport
• golden pea
• golden penda
• golden perch
• golden pheasant
• Golden Plains
• golden plates
• golden plover
• golden pothos
• golden potto
• golden rain
• golden-rain
• golden-rain tree
• golden rain tree
• golden raisin
• golden ratio
• golden record
• golden rectangle
• golden retriever
• golden rice
• golden robin
• goldenrod
• golden rule
• golden sand-eater
• golden saxifrage
• goldenseal
• golden section
• golden set
• golden share
• golden shiner
• golden-shouldered parrot
• golden shower
• golden shower boy
• golden shower queen
• golden shower tree
• golden silk orb-weaver
• golden skirt
• golden slam
• golden sombrero
• golden spice
• golden spike
• golden spiral
• Golden Square Mile
• golden staph
• golden star tunicate
• Golden State
• golden sulphur
• golden syrup
• golden thistle
• golden thread
• golden ticket
• golden time
• golden toad
• golden-tongued
• golden tortoise beetle
• golden touch
• golden triangle
• Golden Triangle
• Golden Valley
• Golden Valley County
• golden visa
• golden wand
• golden wattle
• golden wedding, golden wedding anniversary
• golden whistler
• golden wonder killifish
• golden yarrow
• golden years
• golden-yellow
• kill the goose that lays the golden eggs
• Knight of the Golden Circle
• mangrove golden whistler
• Mission golden-eyed treefrog
• red-legged golden orb-weaver spider
• silence is golden
• speech is silver, silence is golden

 

Translations

made of, or relating to, gold

• Afrikaans: goue (af)
• Arabic: ذَهَبِيّ (ḏahabiyy)
• Armenian: ոսկե (hy) (oske)
• Assamese: সোণৰ (xünor), সুণীয়া (xunia)
• Belarusian: залаты́ (zalatý)
• Bulgarian: зла́тен (bg) (zláten)
• Buryat: алтан (altan)
• Catalan: d'or m, daurat (ca)
• Cebuano: bulawanon
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 金的 (zh) (jīn de), 黃金的／黄金的 (zh) (huángjīn de)

• Czech: zlatý (cs)
• Danish: gylden
• Dutch: gouden (nl)
• Finnish: kultainen (fi)
• French: d’or (fr), en or
• Galician: de ouro m
• Georgian: ოქროსი (okrosi)
• German: golden (de), gülden (de)
• Gothic: 𐌲𐌿𐌻𐌸𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍃 (gulþeins)
• Greek: χρυσός (el) m (chrysós)

  Ancient: χρύσεος (khrúseos), χρυσοῦς (khrusoûs) (contracted form)

• Hebrew: מוזהב m
• Ingrian: kultain
• Irish: órga
• Italian: d'oro (it)
• Japanese: 黄金の (ja) (おうごんの, ōgon no), 金の (ja) (きんの, kin no)
• Kazakh: алтын (kk) (altyn)
• Korean: 금의 (ko) (geumui), 황금의 (ko) (hwanggeumui)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: زێڕین (zêrrîn)

  Northern Kurdish: zêrîn (ku)

• Latin: aureus (la)
• Macedonian: златен (zlaten)
• Middle English: golden, gilden
• Navajo: óola bee ályaa
• Norwegian: gyllen (no)
• Old Turkic: 𐰞𐱃𐰆𐰣 (altun)
• Persian: طلایی (fa) (talâyi), زرین (fa) (zarrin)
• Plautdietsch: golden
• Polish: złoty (pl)
• Portuguese: de ouro, dourado (pt), áureo (pt), doirado (pt)
• Romanian: de aur, din aur, aurit (ro)
• Russian: золото́й (ru) (zolotój)
• Sanskrit: काञ्चन (sa) (kāñcana)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: златан

  Roman: zlatan (sh)

• Slovak: zlatý
• Slovene: zlaten
• Sorbian:

  Lower Sorbian: złoty

• Spanish: de oro (es) (made of gold), áureo (es) (made of gold) (poetic)
• Swedish: gyllene (sv)
• Telugu: బంగారు (te) (baṅgāru)
• Turkish: altın (tr)
• Ukrainian: золоти́й (uk) (zolotýj)
• Welsh: euraidd, euraid (cy)
• Yiddish: גאָלדן (goldn), גילדן (gildn), גילדערן (gildern)

having a color or other richness suggestive of gold

• Afrikaans: goue (af)
• Assamese: সোণালী (xünali)
• Bulgarian: зла́тен (bg) (zláten)
• Catalan: , daurada (ca) f, daurat (ca) m
• Cebuano: bulawanon
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 金色的 (zh) (jīnsè de)

• Danish: gylden, gylden
• Dutch: gouden (nl), goudkleurig (nl)
• Esperanto: ora (eo)
• Finnish: kultainen (fi), kullankeltainen (fi)
• French: doré (fr)
• Galician: dourado (gl) m, louro (gl)
• Georgian: ოქროსფერი (okrosperi)
• German: golden (de), gülden (de)
• Greek: χρυσός (el) m (chrysós), χρυσαφένιος (el) m (chrysafénios)
• Hebrew: זהוב (he) (zahóv)
• Interlingua: auree, aurate
• Italian: dorato (it)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: زێڕین (zêrrîn)

  Northern Kurdish: zêrîn (ku)

• Latin: inauratus, aurosus
• Malay: keemasan
• Middle English: golden, gilden
• Navajo: óolago naashchʼąąʼ
• Norwegian: gyllen (no)
• Occitan: daurat (oc)
• Persian: طلایی (fa) (talâyi), زرگون (fa) (zarrgun)
• Plautdietsch: golden
• Polish: złoty (pl) m, złocisty (pl) m
• Portuguese: dourado (pt), áureo (pt)
• Romanian: auriu (ro)
• Russian: золото́й (ru) (zolotój), золоти́стый (ru) (zolotístyj)
• Sorbian:

  Lower Sorbian: złoty

• Spanish: dorado (es)
• Swedish: gyllene (sv)
• Yiddish: גאָלדן (goldn), גילדן (gildn), גילדערן (gildern)

marked by prosperity, creativity, etc.

• Afrikaans: gulde
• Catalan: daurat (ca) m
• Danish: gylden
• Finnish: kulta- (fi)
• Galician: dourado (gl) m
• German: golden (de)
• Greek: χρυσός (el) m (chrysós)
• Italian: d'oro (it)
• Latin: aureus (la)
• Middle English: golden, gilden
• Norwegian: gyllen (no)
• Polish: złoty (pl) m
• Portuguese: dourado (pt), áureo (pt)
• Romanian: prosper (ro), de aur
• Russian: золото́й (ru) (zolotój)
• Spanish: dorado (es), de oro
• Swedish: gyllene (sv), gyllene (sv)

advantageous or very favourable

• Afrikaans: gulde
• Catalan: d'or
• Danish: gylden
• Finnish: tuhannen taalan
• French: en or
• Galician: de ouro m
• German: golden (de)
• Greek: χρυσός (el) m (chrysós)
• Italian: d'oro (it)
• Latin: aureus (la)
• Norwegian: gyllen (no)
• Polish: wielki (pl) m
• Portuguese: de ouro
• Romanian: favorabil (ro), norocos (ro), de aur
• Swedish: gyllene (sv)

relating to a fiftieth anniversary

• Afrikaans: goue (af), goue (af)
• Bulgarian: зла́тен (bg) (zláten)
• Catalan: d'or
• Cebuano: bulawanon
• Finnish: kulta- (fi)
• French: d’or (fr)
• Galician: de ouro m
• Italian: d'oro (it)
• Latin: aureus (la)
• Polish: złoty (pl) m
• Romanian: de aur
• Spanish: de oro

Noun

golden (plural goldens)

1. Kyphosus vaigiensis, a fish found in southeast Asia.
2. Ellipsis of golden retriever.
   • 1995, Jaime J. Sucher, Golden Retrievers, Barron’s, →ISBN, page 76:

     The archives of the Golden Retriever Club of America (GRCA) record goldens in the United States as early as the 1890s.

   • 2017, Linda Bozzo, I Like Golden Retrievers! (Discover Dogs with the American Canine Association), Enslow Publishing, pages 4 and 15:

     Golden retrievers, or goldens, make great family pets. […] Goldens should be brushed regularly.

   • 2019, Sarah Frank, Golden Retrievers, Lerner Publishing Group, page 6:

     Throw a toy into the water, and watch your golden go for it!

   • 2021, Marcie Aboff, Fast Facts About Golden Retrievers (Fast Facts About Dogs), Raintree, Capstone Global Library Limited, →ISBN, page 13:

     People like petting goldens.

Etymology 2

From gold +‎ -en, or perhaps a derivation from the adjective above.

Verb

golden (third-person singular simple present goldens, present participle goldening, simple past and past participle goldened)

1. (intransitive) To become gold or golden (in color).
2. (transitive) To make golden or like gold.
   • 1994, Marion H. Hedges, Iron City:

     It goldened, as nothing else goldened, the commonplace countryside.

Translations

To become golden

• Afrikaans: vergoud
• Catalan: daurar-se
• Hebrew: להזהיב

To make golden or like gold

• Afrikaans: vergoud
• Portuguese: dourar (pt), doirar (pt) (Portugal)

Anagrams

• Delong, dongle, longed

Dutch

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔldən

Verb

golden

1. inflection of gelden:
   1. plural past indicative
   2. (dated or formal) plural past subjunctive

Anagrams

• dongel, gondel

German

Alternative forms

• gülden (archaic, poetic)
• gulden, gölden (obsolete)

Etymology

Common since the 18th century. Alteration (after Gold (“gold”)) of older gulden, gülden, from Middle High German guldīn, güldīn, from Old High German guldīn, from Proto-Germanic *gulþīnaz. Equivalent to Gold +‎ -en. Cognate with Dutch gulden, gouden, English golden.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡɔldən/

• Audio (Germany):

  (file)

• Audio (Germany):

  (file)

• Audio (Austria):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: gol‧den

Adjective

golden (strong nominative masculine singular goldener, comparative goldener, superlative am goldensten)

1. golden; gold (made of gold)
2. golden (gold-colored)

Declension

Positive forms of golden

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist golden	sie ist golden	es ist golden	sie sind golden
strong declension (without article)	nominative	goldener	goldene	goldenes	goldene
	genitive	goldenen	goldener	goldenen	goldener
	dative	goldenem	goldener	goldenem	goldenen
	accusative	goldenen	goldene	goldenes	goldene
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der goldene	die goldene	das goldene	die goldenen
	genitive	des goldenen	der goldenen	des goldenen	der goldenen
	dative	dem goldenen	der goldenen	dem goldenen	den goldenen
	accusative	den goldenen	die goldene	das goldene	die goldenen
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein goldener	eine goldene	ein goldenes	(keine) goldenen
	genitive	eines goldenen	einer goldenen	eines goldenen	(keiner) goldenen
	dative	einem goldenen	einer goldenen	einem goldenen	(keinen) goldenen
	accusative	einen goldenen	eine goldene	ein goldenes	(keine) goldenen

Comparative forms of golden

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist goldener	sie ist goldener	es ist goldener	sie sind goldener
strong declension (without article)	nominative	goldenerer	goldenere	goldeneres	goldenere
	genitive	goldeneren	goldenerer	goldeneren	goldenerer
	dative	goldenerem	goldenerer	goldenerem	goldeneren
	accusative	goldeneren	goldenere	goldeneres	goldenere
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der goldenere	die goldenere	das goldenere	die goldeneren
	genitive	des goldeneren	der goldeneren	des goldeneren	der goldeneren
	dative	dem goldeneren	der goldeneren	dem goldeneren	den goldeneren
	accusative	den goldeneren	die goldenere	das goldenere	die goldeneren
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein goldenerer	eine goldenere	ein goldeneres	(keine) goldeneren
	genitive	eines goldeneren	einer goldeneren	eines goldeneren	(keiner) goldeneren
	dative	einem goldeneren	einer goldeneren	einem goldeneren	(keinen) goldeneren
	accusative	einen goldeneren	eine goldenere	ein goldeneres	(keine) goldeneren

Superlative forms of golden

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist am goldensten	sie ist am goldensten	es ist am goldensten	sie sind am goldensten
strong declension (without article)	nominative	goldenster	goldenste	goldenstes	goldenste
	genitive	goldensten	goldenster	goldensten	goldenster
	dative	goldenstem	goldenster	goldenstem	goldensten
	accusative	goldensten	goldenste	goldenstes	goldenste
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der goldenste	die goldenste	das goldenste	die goldensten
	genitive	des goldensten	der goldensten	des goldensten	der goldensten
	dative	dem goldensten	der goldensten	dem goldensten	den goldensten
	accusative	den goldensten	die goldenste	das goldenste	die goldensten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein goldenster	eine goldenste	ein goldenstes	(keine) goldensten
	genitive	eines goldensten	einer goldensten	eines goldensten	(keiner) goldensten
	dative	einem goldensten	einer goldensten	einem goldensten	(keinen) goldensten
	accusative	einen goldensten	eine goldenste	ein goldenstes	(keine) goldensten

Synonyms

• (in predicative use) aus Gold
• (in attributive use) Gold-

Derived terms

• Goldene Zahl
• goldener Käfig
• Goldener Schnitt
• goldener Schuss
• goldenes Herz
• Gulden

 

See also

• bronzefarbig
• ehern
• goldig
• kupfern
• metallisch
• rostig
• silbern
• silbrig
• zinnfarben

 

Further reading

• “golden” in Duden online
• “golden” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Middle English

Alternative forms

• goldene, goldyn, goldin, goldun, goldyng, goldein, gowuldyn, colden, coldin

Etymology

From gilden, reformed by analogy with gold.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡɔldən/, /ˈɡoːldən/

Adjective

golden

1. Formed from gold.
2. Decorated or covered with gold.
3. Having a golden colour.
4. (figurative) Of excellent quality or worth; precious, best.

Descendants

• English: golden
• Scots: gowden

See also

• gilden

References

• “gōlden, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 27 April 2018.

Old English

Verb

golden

1. past participle of ġieldan

Plautdietsch

Adjective

golden

1. golden

Spanish

Noun

golden f (plural golden)

1. Golden Delicious