lead to gold
The philosopher's goal
The transformation of lead to gold represents the legendary goal of alchemy—the medieval pursuit of transmuting base metals into precious ones.
The phrase now serves as a metaphor for any ambitious attempt to create something valuable from humble materials: She had a knack for turning lead to gold, building a business from nothing.
The impossibility of literal transmutation makes it shorthand for futile or magical endeavors.
- alchemyMystical metal transformation
- transmutationComplete change of form
- philosopher's stoneLegendary substance enabling transmutation
- base metalsNon-precious metallic elements
- metalHard conductive solid
transformation · chemistry · medieval · elixir · base metal · precious · furnace · crucible · mercury · sulfur · magnum opus · great work · alchemist · quest · secret · secret formula · hidden knowledge · mystical
- alchemyalchemy, alchemist, philosopher's stone, transmutation, elixir
- transmutationstransformation, transmutation, metamorphosis, conversion, mutation
- transmutationphilosopher's stone, base metal, noble metal, great work
- magical transformationshapeshifting, metamorphosis, polymorph, transfiguration, transmogrification
lead to golddowngrade
Reduce in status
depreciation · corruption · spoilage · entropy · decay
lead, gold, leads, leading, led, leader, leaders, leadership, mislead