gold
gold — noun
1. a soft, shiny, yellow metal that is very valuable and does not easily lose its c
a soft, shiny, yellow metal that is very valuable and does not easily lose its colour. It is used to make jewellery, coins, and decorative objects, and is found naturally in the ground.
Gold is soft, so jewellers mix it with silver or copper to make it stronger.
gold + verb structure for substance descriptions
The museum displayed a collection of ancient gold jewellery from the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs.
Femi bought a small bar of gold as a long-term investment for his children.
collocation: bar of gold
Unlike iron, gold does not rust, which is why ancient gold objects survive for centuries.
comparative structure: unlike X, gold + verb
The price of gold reached a record high as people searched for safer places to invest.
collocation: price of gold
- pure gold
- solid gold
- gold bar
- bar of gold
- gold deposit
- gold mine
- gold rush
- gold leaf
- price of gold
- bullion
refers specifically to gold in large bars or ingots, not general jewellery or objects
- precious metal
broader category including gold, silver, and platinum; more formal
Grammar Patterns
gold + verb (as substance)
Usage Note
Gold is uncountable in this sense — do not say 'a gold' when referring to the metal itself. Exception: 'a gold' can mean a gold medal or a gold coin in informal British English.
Common Mistakes
2. a shiny yellow colour that looks like the metal gold. It can range from a pale y
a shiny yellow colour that looks like the metal gold. It can range from a pale yellow to a deep, rich shade.
Camille painted her bedroom walls a soft gold that made the room feel warm.
collocation: painted + [colour] + [result]
The autumn leaves turned a rich shade of gold before falling to the ground.
collocation: shade of gold
Élise chose a handbag in a deep gold that matched her shoes perfectly.
The evening sky turned shades of gold and pink as the sun went down.
- deep gold
- rich gold
- pale gold
- shade of gold
- painted in gold
Grammar Patterns
a shade of gold
gold + noun
Usage Note
When used as a colour, gold can be both uncountable ('painted in gold') and countable as a modifier ('a rich gold'). Distinguish from golden (adj), which is more common in literary or poetic descriptions.
3. the highest prize in a contest, awarded to the person or team that comes first.
the highest prize in a contest, awarded to the person or team that comes first. At events like the Olympics, it takes the form of a gold-coloured medal, and coming first is called 'winning gold'.
The Japanese team won gold in the women's gymnastics final after a stunning performance.
collocation: win + gold
Nikos trained for almost ten years before finally winning an Olympic gold in swimming.
Diya took the gold in the 800-metre race, finishing two seconds ahead of the runner-up.
collocation: take + gold
The country celebrated its first Winter Olympic gold when the ski team won the relay.
possessive: [country]'s + gold
Asked about her goal, Mert simply replied, 'I am going for gold.'
idiomatic phrase: go for gold
- win gold
- take gold
- go for gold
- Olympic gold
- gold medal
- gold medallist
- first place
describes the ranking rather than the medal itself
- top prize
broader term for any competition, not limited to sports
Grammar Patterns
win + gold
take + gold
gold + medal
go for gold
Usage Note
Gold is uncountable when referring to the rank or prize ('win gold', 'take gold'). It is countable when referring to individual medals ('she won three golds').
Common Mistakes
4. something that is extremely valuable, useful, or excellent, often used figurativ
something that is extremely valuable, useful, or excellent, often used figuratively to describe information, help, or a quality that is hard to find.
That old cookbook is pure gold — it has recipes you cannot find anywhere else.
figurative: is + pure gold
Honest feedback from customers is gold for any business that wants to grow and improve.
figurative: is + gold (uncountable)
The library's collection of handwritten letters from famous writers is absolute gold for researchers.
Local knowledge is gold when you are travelling somewhere unfamiliar for the first time.
- pure gold
- absolute gold
- solid gold
- is gold
- worth gold
- junk
slang for something worthless or low-quality
Grammar Patterns
noun + is + gold
be + pure gold
Usage Note
This is a figurative, uncountable use. It cannot be made plural ('golds') in this sense. Common with modifers like 'pure', 'absolute', 'solid' to emphasise value.
5. gold in the form of coins, bars, or ingots that is used as money or as a store o
gold in the form of coins, bars, or ingots that is used as money or as a store of value by individuals, banks, and governments.
Many investors buy gold during times of economic uncertainty to protect their savings.
collocation: buy gold (investment context)
The central bank increased its gold reserves by purchasing two hundred tons of bullion.
collocation: gold reserves
Owen inherited gold coins from his grandfather, dating from the early 1900s.
During the gold rush, people travelled thousands of miles hoping to find gold.
collocation: gold rush
- gold reserves
- gold coins
- gold bullion
- gold standard
- buy gold
- invest in gold
- gold rush
- gold market
Grammar Patterns
gold + noun (as store of value)
invest in + gold
Usage Note
This sense overlaps with noun sense 1 but focuses specifically on gold as a financial asset or currency. In modern contexts, often appears in discussions of national reserves, investment portfolios, and historical monetary systems.
a heart of gold
idiomto be a very kind, generous, and caring person, even if their outward behaviour seems rough or unfriendly.
The old man looked grumpy, but everyone in the neighbourhood knew he had a heart of gold.
Yael has a heart of gold — she spends every Sunday volunteering at the animal shelter.
extremely useful, helpful, or valuable; so important that no price could fairly measure their worth.
A good assistant who solves problems before they get worse is worth their weight in gold.
During the power cut, this portable lamp was worth its weight in gold.
strike gold
idiomto suddenly find or achieve something that brings great success, wealth, or happiness, like finding a rich source of gold.
The small technology company struck gold when its app became the most downloaded of the year.
Antonia felt she had struck gold when she found a first-edition novel at a charity sale.
as good as gold
idiombehaving very well, especially used to describe a child who is obedient, polite, and causes no trouble.
The babysitter said the children were as good as gold and went to bed without any fuss.
Our puppy was as good as gold during the trip to the vet — he did not move once.
a pot of gold
idioma large but unlikely prize or reward that someone hopes to obtain, based on the old story of a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.
Many people move to the city searching for a pot of gold, but most find only hard work.
The idea of a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is a folk tale that symbolises hope.
used to say that something or someone may look attractive or valuable on the outside but is not actually good or real.
The job offer seemed perfect, but Yael soon learned that all that glitters is not gold.
That flashy sports car looks impressive, but all that glitters is not gold; it breaks down constantly.
Something that looks good on the outside may not be good or valuable in reality.
Mia thought the job was perfect, but all that glitters is not gold.
Remember that all that glistens is not gold when you see a cheap deal.
a crock/pot of gold
idiomA big reward or prize that someone hopes for but is very unlikely to get.
He chased the startup dream like a crock of gold at the end of a rainbow.
Winning the lottery is a pot of gold for most people.
(as) good as gold
idiomBehaving very well and following rules, especially for children.
The children were as good as gold during the long car ride.
Grandma said I was good as gold when I helped her in the garden.
have a heart of gold
idiomTo be a very kind and generous person.
My neighbor has a heart of gold and always helps others.
Does your teacher have a heart of gold? She gave us extra help.
Used to describe a place where it seems very easy to become rich.
Many immigrants believed the streets were paved with gold in America.
Don't think the streets are paved with gold in every big city.
Extremely useful or valuable.
A reliable car is worth its weight in gold during winter storms.
My grandmother's advice is worth its weight in gold to me.
gold — adjective
1. made of the metal gold, or covered with a thin layer of gold. Describes objects
made of the metal gold, or covered with a thin layer of gold. Describes objects that contain gold as a material.
Mauricio gave his mother a delicate gold necklace for her sixtieth birthday.
The ancient temple had a gold statue that weighed over five hundred kilograms.
Grandma's gold watch still works perfectly after more than fifty years of daily use.
The artist used real gold leaf to decorate the edges of the manuscript pages.
collocation: gold leaf
Hannah's wedding ring is a simple gold band without any jewels or decoration.
collocation: gold band / gold ring
- gold ring
- gold necklace
- gold watch
- gold chain
- gold coin
- gold leaf
- gold jewellery
- gold band
- golden
often used interchangeably but may imply gold-coloured rather than actual gold; more common in literary contexts
Grammar Patterns
gold + noun (material)
Usage Note
This adjective is used before a noun (attributive) and describes what the object is made of. Do not confuse with golden, which usually means 'gold-coloured' or 'made of gold-like material' in figurative contexts.
Common Mistakes
2. with a colour that looks like the precious metal gold — a warm, shiny yellow. Th
with a colour that looks like the precious metal gold — a warm, shiny yellow. The object is not made of gold itself; it simply has that shade.
Daichi wore a gold tie with a dark blue suit to the wedding party.
The house had a large clock with a shiny gold finish hanging above the fireplace in the living room.
A gold carpet ran from the entrance to the stage at the awards ceremony.
Owen's cat has gold eyes that glow when the light hits them.
The invitation was printed on thick paper with gold lettering that looked very elegant.
collocation: gold lettering
- gold paint
- gold lettering
- gold trim
- gold frame
- gold colour
- golden
more common in literary or poetic descriptions for colour, e.g. 'golden hair'; 'gold' is more direct for factual colour description
Grammar Patterns
gold + noun (colour)
Usage Note
In this sense, 'gold' describes colour only — the object is not made of the metal. When describing a metal medal or coin's finish, both the material sense and colour sense may overlap. For figurative uses like 'golden opportunity', use golden instead.
Common Mistakes
❌ 'She wore a gold dress to the party.' (Correct if the dress is the colour of gold) — but if it's a dress made from woven gold thread, use 'gold thread dress' for clarity.
Word family
- goldenadjectiveB1
- goldfishnounA2
- goldminenounB2
- goldsmithnounB2
- gildedadjectiveC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
Gold is the general term for the yellow metallic element, used to describe both the material itself and objects made from it. Bullion refers specifically to gold (or silver) in bulk bars or ingots, valued by weight rather than craftsmanship — you would speak of 'buying bullion' as an investment, not 'wearing bullion' as jewellery. Precious metal is a broader category that includes gold, silver, platinum, and palladium; it is more formal and often appears in financial or industrial contexts ('precious metal prices rose'). Treasure adds an emotional or historical layer — it describes valuable objects (often including gold) that have been hidden, lost, or collected, such as 'sunken treasure' or 'buried treasure'. While you can call an old gold coin 'gold', calling it 'treasure' suggests it has a sentimental or story value beyond its metal content.
Common collocations
Etymology
Gold is one of the oldest named metals in English, inherited from the Old English word 'geolu' meaning yellow, which came from a prehistoric Germanic root 'ghel-' (to shine). This same ancient root also produced words like yellow, glow, and gleam, as well as the Latin 'helvus' (honey-yellow) and the Greek 'khlōros' (greenish-yellow, as in chlorine). The symbol Au, used in chemistry, comes from the Latin 'aurum', meaning 'shining dawn' — a word related to 'Aurora', the Roman goddess of the sunrise. Unlike many metals whose names entered English through Norman French or Latin, gold has been in the language continuously since before the Norman Conquest in 1066.