bird in a gilded cage
Comfortable but trapped
A bird in a gilded cage is someone who lives in luxury but lacks freedom—typically a woman kept in comfort by a wealthy husband or patron while being controlled or restricted.
The cage may be golden, but it's still a cage: She had the mansion, the car, the clothes, but she was just a bird in a gilded cage.
Unable to escape
- imprisonmentLegal detention in jail
- confinementState of being restricted
- enclosureConfined, bordered space
- entrapmentDefense against induced criminality
captive · caged · prisoner · detention · isolation · seclusion · incarceration · quarantine
Showy, abundant prosperity
- goldenBright yellow, or precious
- wealthAbundance of valuable resources
- affluenceAbundance of money
- extravaganceExcessive, wasteful spending
splendor · lavishness · prosperity · grandeur · magnificence · elegance · comfort · plush
Intense prolonged craving
- escapeFlight from captivity
- freedomAbsence of constraint
- liberationRelease from constraint
- longingIntense, persistent desire
pining · wistful · melancholy · resignation · despair · hopelessness · dreams · wings
Imposed or inherent bounds
- boundariesLines marking separation
- restrictionsLimitations on action
- prohibitionsFormal orders against something
- barriersThings blocking access
curtailment · suppression · repression · control · suffocation · claustrophobia · stifled · smothered
trapped
Unable to escape
- imprisonmentLegal detention in jail
- confinementState of being restricted
- enclosureConfined, bordered space
entrapment · captive · caged · prisoner · detention · isolation · seclusion · incarceration · quarantine · shackles
opulence
Showy, abundant prosperity
extravagance · splendor · lavishness · prosperity · grandeur · magnificence · elegance · comfort · plush · sumptuous
yearning
Intense prolonged craving
- escapeFlight from captivity
- freedomAbsence of constraint
- liberationRelease from constraint
longing · pining · wistful · melancholy · resignation · despair · hopelessness · dreams · wings · flight
limitations
Imposed or inherent bounds
- boundariesLines marking separation
- restrictionsLimitations on action
- prohibitionsFormal orders against something
barriers · curtailment · suppression · repression · control · suffocation · claustrophobia · stifled · smothered · hemmed-in
illusion
Misleading sensory impression
- appearanceOutward visible form
- veneerDecorative outer layer
- surfaceOutermost boundary layer
pretense · show · display · glitter · shine · hollow · empty · deceptive · false · masquerade
bird in a gilded cagefree as a bird
Entirely without restrictions
free spirit · wild bird · free agent · rolling stone · footloose and fancy-free
bird in a gilded cagewhat you see is what you get
No deception or concealment
bird in a gilded cagestarving artist
Poor creative professional