gold
gb/ɡˈoʊld/ us/ɡˈoʊld/
A2
English
~ 1800
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
A valuable yellow metal
A soft, heavy, yellow metal used to make jewelry and coins, and worth a lot of money.
Usage pattern:
[something] made of gold
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'gold' (the metal) with 'golden' (the color or made of gold). 'Golden' is often used for color or metaphorical meanings, while 'gold' is the actual substance.
Synonyms
bullion (Refers specifically to gold in bulk form, often for trade or investment.)
Antonyms
lead (A common, dull, and inexpensive metal, opposite in value and desirability to gold.)
Collocations
pure gold
|solid gold
|gold jewelry
|gold coin
|gold bar
Themes
materials
|economy
|jewelry
|science
|finance
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The ring was made of pure gold.
- Gold has been used as currency for thousands of years.
- She wore a necklace of white gold.
- Investors often buy gold during economic uncertainty.
- The Olympic medal was plated with gold.
Learner examples
- This watch is made of gold.
- Gold is very expensive.
- My mother has a gold ring.
- People use gold to make coins.
- The crown is made from gold.
Noun
A2
property
2
A deep yellow color
A deep yellow color like the metal gold.
Usage pattern:
[something] is gold
Common mistake:
Learners may say 'golden color' unnecessarily when simply 'gold' is enough to describe the color.
Synonyms
golden (Often used more generally for describing the color; can also carry figurative meanings.)
Antonyms
silver (A metallic gray-white color, contrasting with gold's yellow tone.)
Collocations
gold dress
|gold paint
|gold fabric
Themes
colors
|appearance
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The curtains were a rich shade of gold.
- He chose a gold tie for the wedding.
- The trophy was painted in gold.
Learner examples
- Her dress is gold.
- The car is gold in color.
- I have a gold pen.
Noun
informal
B1
entity
3
Something very valuable or excellent
Something that is very good or important.
Usage pattern:
[something] is (like) gold
Common mistake:
Learners may take this expression literally and think it refers to the metal rather than value or quality.
Synonyms
treasure (Emphasizes great value or emotional attachment.)
Antonyms
trash (Something worthless or of very low quality.)
Collocations
worth its weight in gold
|pure gold moment
Themes
value
|praise
|core_vocabulary
|finance
Examples
- Your advice was pure gold to me.
- That old photo is gold for our project.
- Her performance was absolute gold.
Learner examples
- This book is gold for students.
- Your help is like gold to me.
- That idea is gold.
Grammar
Dictionary form
gold
IPA
GB/ɡˈoʊld/
US/ɡˈoʊld/
Syllables & stress
gold (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (gold)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: gold
- Plural: gold, golds
Word family
Expressions
go for the gold
1/ɡˈoʊ fɚ ðə ɡˈoʊld/
idiom
informal
Aim for the highest success
To try your best to win the top prize or reach the best result.
Examples
- She’s training hard because she wants to go for the gold at the Olympics.
- In business, they always go for the gold.
solid gold
1/sˈɑlɪd ɡˈoʊld/
fixed phrase
Made entirely of gold or excellent quality
Made completely from real gold, or very good in quality.
Examples
- The award was solid gold.
- Her voice is solid gold for the music industry.
all that glitters is not gold
1/ˈɔl ðˈæt ɡlˈɪtɚz ˈɪz nˈɑt ɡˈoʊld/
idiom
literary
Appearances can be deceptive
Not everything that looks nice or valuable is really good or valuable.
Examples
- Be careful when buying antiques—remember that all that glitters is not gold.
- She seemed perfect, but all that glitters is not gold.
all that glitters is not gold
2/ˈɔl ðˈæt ɡlˈɪtɚz ˈɪz nˈɑt ɡˈoʊld/
idiom
things that look good may not be
Things that look rich, beautiful, or good are not always truly good or valuable.
Examples
- The job offer sounded perfect, but all that glitters is not gold, and the working conditions were terrible.
- Remember that all that glitters is not gold when you see those perfect lives on social media.
- The fancy hotel looked amazing from the outside, but all that glitters is not gold; the rooms were dirty and small.
strike gold
1/stɹˈaɪk ɡˈoʊld/
idiom
informal
Achieve great success or value suddenly
To suddenly become very successful or find something very valuable.
Examples
- They struck gold with their new smartphone app.
- I think we've struck gold with this idea.
strike gold
2/stɹˈaɪk ɡˈoʊld/
idiom
informal
Find great success or profit
To suddenly find or get something very valuable or successful.
Examples
- They struck gold with their new product line.
- We struck gold when we found that new restaurant.
worth its weight in gold
1/wˈɚθ ˈɪts wˈeɪt ˈɪn ɡˈoʊld/
idiom
extremely valuable for size/amount
Very valuable or useful compared to how big it is.
Examples
- This advice is worth its weight in gold.
- This guidebook was worth its weight in gold during our trip.
- A good assistant is worth their weight in gold.
worth its weight in gold
2/wˈɚθ ˈɪts wˈeɪt ˈɪn ɡˈoʊld/
idiom
Extremely valuable or useful
Very useful or helpful, and therefore very valuable.
Examples
- A good teacher is worth their weight in gold.
- This handbook is worth its weight in gold when you travel abroad.