Definition

Noun: 1. A person, typically a woman, who forms a romantic relationship with someone primarily for that person's money and material possessions. This term describes someone who seeks financial gain through a relationship, often with the intention of receiving expensive gifts, a lavish lifestyle, or a financial settlement. 2. (Historical/Literal) A miner who digs or searches for gold in a gold field. This is the original, literal meaning of the term, referring to a person engaged in the physical extraction of gold from the earth.

Examples

• Noun (Figurative):
  • The tabloids labeled her a gold digger after she married the elderly billionaire.
  • He was warned that she might be a gold digger only interested in his family's wealth.
• Noun (Literal):
  • During the 1849 California Gold Rush, thousands of gold diggers flocked to the West.
  • The museum had an exhibit on the tools used by gold diggers in the 19th century.

Advanced Usage

• The figurative use is often, but not exclusively, applied to women and carries a strong negative connotation of manipulation and greed.
• The term can be used metaphorically beyond romantic contexts to describe anyone who associates with another person primarily for financial or material benefit.
  • Some accused the lobbyists of being political gold diggers, seeking favors from powerful officials.

Variants and Related Words

• Gold-digging (noun): The act or practice of being a gold digger.
  • He was a victim of her gold-digging.
• Fortune hunter: A close synonym for the figurative meaning, emphasizing the search for wealth.

Synonyms

• Fortune hunter
• Mercenary (in the context of relationships)
• Opportunist

Idioms and Related Phrases

• To dig for gold: This phrase can be used literally or figuratively to mean seeking wealth, often through another person.
  • (Figurative) Everyone knew he was just digging for gold when he started dating the heiress.

Noun

1. a woman who associates with or marries a rich man in order to get valuables from him through gifts or a divorce settlement
2. a miner who digs or pans for gold in a gold field