gold
/ɡəʊld/ (bre, ipa) · /ɡəʊld/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈgōld/ (ame, mw) · /ɡoʊld/ (ame, ipa)
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.
Unlike iron, gold does not rust, which is why ancient gold objects survive for centuries.
The price of gold reached a record high as people searched for safer places to invest.
- 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
文法句型
gold + verb (as substance)
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
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.
文法句型
a shade of gold
gold + noun
用法筆記
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.
The country celebrated its first Winter Olympic gold when the ski team won the relay.
Asked about her goal, Mert simply replied, 'I am going for gold.'
- first place
describes the ranking rather than the medal itself
- top prize
broader term for any competition, not limited to sports
文法句型
win + gold
take + gold
gold + medal
go for gold
用法筆記
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').
常見錯誤
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.
- junk
slang for something worthless or low-quality
文法句型
noun + is + gold
be + pure gold
用法筆記
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.
文法句型
gold + noun (as store of value)
invest in + gold
用法筆記
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.
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.
Hannah's wedding ring is a simple gold band without any jewels or decoration.
- golden
often used interchangeably but may imply gold-coloured rather than actual gold; more common in literary contexts
文法句型
gold + noun (material)
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
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.
- golden
more common in literary or poetic descriptions for colour, e.g. 'golden hair'; 'gold' is more direct for factual colour description
文法句型
gold + noun (colour)
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
❌ '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.