# golden touch

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/golden-touch
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Synonym of Midas touch (“the ability to achieve financial reward (or, more generally, success) easily and consistently”).

## Examples

- He has a golden touch with every business he starts.
- Investors trust her with their money because she seems to have a golden touch when picking new companies.
- Throughout his long career, the architect possessed a golden touch, transforming even the most neglected urban spaces into highly profitable and celebrated landmarks.

## Origin

The term originates from the Greek legend of King Midas, famously recorded in the year 8 C.E. within the eleventh chapter of Ovid’s Metamorphoses. The narrative concerns a gift granted by Dionysus, the god of wine and winemaking, who bestowed upon the king the ability to transform any object into gold simply by touching it. The Midas touch, as the phenomenon is also known, represents a specific instance of divine generosity proving rather inconvenient in practice. While the source term focuses on the initial acquisition of the power, the surviving idiom retains the association with Midas and his particular method of metallurgical production.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.