Definition

Noun: 1. A large, rapid migration of people to a region where gold has been discovered: This refers to the historical phenomenon where news of a gold discovery triggers a mass movement of prospectors and settlers hoping to find wealth. 2. A sudden opportunity for profit or success that attracts many people: This figurative meaning describes any frenzied rush of people or activity to capitalize on a new, lucrative opportunity.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Historical Migration):

  • The California Gold Rush of 1849 transformed the American West.
  • Prospectors traveled from all over the world to join the gold rush in Alaska.

• Noun (Figurative Opportunity):

  • The tech startup boom created a modern gold rush for investors.
  • When the new cryptocurrency surged in value, it sparked a gold rush of new miners.

Advanced Usage

• "to trigger/spark a gold rush": to cause a sudden, frenzied pursuit of a new opportunity.
  • The discovery of rare minerals in the area could trigger a new gold rush.
• "a digital gold rush": a metaphor for a rapid, competitive scramble for profit in a new digital or technological sector.
  • The early days of the internet were a digital gold rush for domain name speculators.

Variants and Related Words

• Gold digger (n): (Informal, often derogatory) A person, typically a woman, who forms relationships to extract money from a partner. (Note: This is a distinct compound word with a different primary meaning).
• Gold prospector (n): A person who searches for gold deposits.
• Rush (n/v): A sudden surge or movement; to move or act with great haste.

Synonyms

• Boom: A period of rapid economic growth or intense activity.
• Stampede: A sudden frenzied rush of people or animals.
• Windfall: A sudden, unexpected piece of good fortune or profit.

Related Phrases

• "strike it rich": to suddenly gain great wealth, especially by finding gold or through a lucky opportunity.
  • Many came hoping to strike it rich, but few succeeded.
• "rush for riches": a phrase describing a hurried pursuit of wealth, similar to the figurative use of "gold rush".
  • The announcement led to a rush for riches as companies scrambled for contracts.

Related Idioms

• "All that glitters is not gold": A proverb meaning that not everything that looks valuable or promising turns out to be so. This is thematically related, often cited as a caution during a gold rush or similar frenzy.
  • Many learned during the gold rush that all that glitters is not gold.

Noun

1. a large migration of people to a newly discovered gold field
2. a sudden happening that brings good fortune (as a sudden opportunity to make money)
   • the demand for testing has created a boom for those unregulated laboratories where boxes of specimen jars are processed like an assembly line