geld
1 of 2verb
ˈgeld 
gelded; gelding; gelds
transitive verb
1
: to castrate (an animal)
Some old-timers will tell you that the horse will grow better if you wait until he's older to geld him, but I've found this isn't the case … 
Practical Horseman
Practical Horseman2
: to deprive of a natural or essential part
the legislation was pretty much gelded by the time it was passed
geld
2 of 2noun
: the crown tax paid under Anglo-Saxon and Norman kings
Synonyms
Verb
- castrate
- damp
- dampen
- deaden
- dehydrate
- desiccate
- devitalize
- enervate
- lobotomize
- petrify
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb by the time of the fourth rewrite, the screenplay had pretty much been gelded of all originality
Recent Examples on the Web Casey Michel, The New Republic, 1 Mar. 2022 Yet on May 8, 1920 — 100 years ago Friday — Man o’ War was conspicuously absent from Churchill Downs, neither entered nor even nominated for the 46th Derby won by the gelding Paul Jones. Tim Sullivan, The Courier-Journal, 7 May 2020 Following the bad start, the gelding angled in for clearance and finished fairly well far back while guzzled nearing the wire. Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2020 No knocks, so expect this gelding to fire a big shot in his return.Saturday’s result: Equal Measure proved much the best with an easy win to pay $10.20 to win. John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2019 Fuchs, riding the experienced gelding Clooney 51, and Maher with Explosion W, produced four flawless rounds over two days to win the final event of the regular season. Danielle Rossingh, CNN, 29 Sep. 2019 To Mischief picked up his first winner as a stallion at Golden Gate Fields on Friday afternoon when 2-year-old gelding Monstrodomous won the second race, a maiden $12,500 claimer on the Tapeta. Los Angeles Times, 22 Aug. 2019 Tua took the 5-gaited, 3-year old stallion/gelding division in Freedom Hall at the Kentucky State Fair. Michael Casagrande | Mcasagrande@al.com, al, 22 Aug. 2019 Hagel named his 9-year-old buckskin gelding Shamrock, after his high school mascot, and Rumsfeld named his Montana, because the arid, mountainous landscape around the Mongolian capital reminded him of that state. Washington Post, 9 Aug. 2019 See More
Verb
Because Moscow retains a close partner in this effort to geld Ukraine—a vassal state that presents the model for what Putin would like to accomplish in Ukraine: Belarus. Casey Michel, The New Republic, 1 Mar. 2022 Yet on May 8, 1920 — 100 years ago Friday — Man o’ War was conspicuously absent from Churchill Downs, neither entered nor even nominated for the 46th Derby won by the gelding Paul Jones. Tim Sullivan, The Courier-Journal, 7 May 2020 Following the bad start, the gelding angled in for clearance and finished fairly well far back while guzzled nearing the wire. Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2020 No knocks, so expect this gelding to fire a big shot in his return.Saturday’s result: Equal Measure proved much the best with an easy win to pay $10.20 to win. John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2019 Fuchs, riding the experienced gelding Clooney 51, and Maher with Explosion W, produced four flawless rounds over two days to win the final event of the regular season. Danielle Rossingh, CNN, 29 Sep. 2019 To Mischief picked up his first winner as a stallion at Golden Gate Fields on Friday afternoon when 2-year-old gelding Monstrodomous won the second race, a maiden $12,500 claimer on the Tapeta. Los Angeles Times, 22 Aug. 2019 Tua took the 5-gaited, 3-year old stallion/gelding division in Freedom Hall at the Kentucky State Fair. Michael Casagrande | Mcasagrande@al.com, al, 22 Aug. 2019 Hagel named his 9-year-old buckskin gelding Shamrock, after his high school mascot, and Rumsfeld named his Montana, because the arid, mountainous landscape around the Mongolian capital reminded him of that state. Washington Post, 9 Aug. 2019 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English, from Old Norse gelda; akin to Old English gelde sterile
Noun
Old English gield, geld service, tribute; akin to Old English gieldan to pay, yield — more at yield entry 1
First Known Use
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun
1610, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
geld
transitive verb
ˈgeld
: castrate sense 1a
gelds
verb
as in undermines
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality by the time of the fourth rewrite, the screenplay had pretty much been gelded of all originality Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- undermines
- drains
- devitalizes
- exhausts
- lobotomizes
- castrates
- weakens
- wears
- petrifies
- burns out
- dehydrates
- desiccates
- dispirits
- enervates
- damps
- wears out
- deadens
- dampens
- discourages
- saps
- debilitates
- enfeebles
- fatigues
- tuckers (out)
- disheartens
- daunts
- does in
- demoralizes
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- stimulates
- energizes
- braces
- triggers
- quickens
- invigorates
- arouses
- vivifies
- stirs
- vitalizes
- charges
- rouses
- whips (up)
- provokes
- lifts
- incites
- fires
- cheers
- galvanizes
- buoys
- sparks
- ferments
- electrifies
- inspires
- enlivens
- inflames
- excites
- foments
- kindles
- boosts
- fortifies
- instigates
- enflames
- revives
- heartens
- abets
- renews
- emboldens
- resurrects
- refreshes
- regenerates
- revitalizes
- resuscitates
- recharges
- reawakes
- rejuvenates
- reactivates
- reawakens
- rekindles
- reanimates
- reenergizes