Gold Digger Definition & Meaning

American

British

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Synonyms gold digger American

noun

1. a person who seeks or digs for gold in a gold field.

2. Informal. a woman who associates with or marries a man chiefly for material gain.

gold-digger British

noun

1. a person who prospects or digs for gold

2. informal a woman who uses her sexual attractions to accumulate gifts and wealth or advance her social position

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

• gold-digging noun

Etymology

Origin of gold digger

An Americanism dating back to 1820–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Julia, a successful businesswoman in textile design, knows that her father will be alarmed at this impetuous engagement and will want to make sure that Johnny isn’t a gold digger.

From The Wall Street Journal

Or the time when she filed a trademark application for the term "gold digger".

From BBC

We appreciate the ability to protect assets from gold diggers but the amounts aren’t worthy of a “dynasty” trust.

From The Wall Street Journal

I’ve never been a “gold digger” — in fact, I was supporting our lifestyle by paying for what he couldn’t afford.

From MarketWatch

"The game isn't trying to say that all women are gold diggers... I don't find it targeting either gender," says 31-year-old Zhuang Mengsheng, who used a pseudonym to speak to the BBC.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.