gold digger
Gold digger (noun) means a person who forms or keeps up a romantic relationship mainly to get money or an expensive lifestyle out of their partner. Example: “His family were convinced she was a gold digger after the inheritance.”
How to Use Gold digger
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomeone who dates a person for their money.
Always insulting in the relationship sense, and often applied unfairly, so it is worth avoiding in neutral writing.
Usually written as two words in British English; gold-digger with a hyphen is also common.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
His family were convinced she was a _____ after the inheritance.
Etymology
A compound of gold and digger; the figurative sense of someone digging for another person's money grew out of the literal prospecting sense.
Synonyms
View more →Related Words
Rhymes for gold digger
See all rhymes for gold digger →Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'gold digger' an insult?
Yes. It accuses someone of faking affection for financial gain, and it is levelled far more often at women than at men. Because it is easy to throw at anyone in a relationship with a wealthy partner, it is best treated as an allegation rather than a description.
What is the difference between a gold digger and a fortune hunter?
They mean much the same, but fortune hunter is older and more literary, suggesting someone deliberately seeking out a rich spouse to marry. Gold digger is modern and blunter, and can describe someone simply exploiting a relationship they are already in.