gilded
adj.adj. covered with a thin layer of gold. It can also describe something that looks very successful or rich on the outside, even if it has problems underneath.
adj. covered thinly with gold leaf or gold paint; having a deceptively attractive appearance that conceals something of lesser value. Often used figuratively to describe a period of wealth or a privileged lifestyle.
The museum displays a beautiful gilded mirror.
The wealthy family lived a gilded life, attending parties every night while ignoring the growing debt of their business.
Historians often refer to the late nineteenth century as a gilded age, noting that the era's immense industrial wealth frequently masked deep-seated social inequality and political corruption.
Typically used as an attributive adjective before a noun; can also function as the past participle of the verb 'gild'.