"Midas touch" meaning in English

See Midas touch in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Proper name

IPA: /ˌmaɪdəs ˈtʌt͡ʃ/ [General-American, Received-Pronunciation] Audio: En-au-Midas touch.ogg
Etymology: From the Greek legend of King Midas, related in chapter XI of Ovid’s Metamorphoses (8 C.E.), whom Dionysus (the god of, among other things, wine and winemaking) gave the power to turn things to gold by touching them. Etymology templates: {{C.E.}} C.E. Head templates: {{en-proper noun}} Midas touch
  1. (Greek mythology, literally) The ability to turn everything one touches into gold. Tags: Greek, literally Categories (topical): Gold, Greek mythology, Fictional abilities Derived forms: reverse Midas touch Related terms: chrysopoeia
    Sense id: en-Midas_touch-en-name-GDkuPRlM Disambiguation of Fictional abilities: 45 55 Topics: human-sciences, mysticism, mythology, philosophy, sciences
  2. (idiomatic) The ability to achieve financial reward (or, more generally, success) from one's actions easily and consistently. Tags: idiomatic Categories (topical): Fictional abilities Synonyms: golden touch
    Sense id: en-Midas_touch-en-name--jTUqt-S Disambiguation of Fictional abilities: 45 55 Categories (other): English allusions, English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with Galician translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Portuguese translations Disambiguation of English allusions: 44 56 Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 42 58 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 34 66 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 37 63 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 32 68 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 35 65 Disambiguation of Terms with Galician translations: 37 63 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 38 62 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 43 57
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Translations (ability to gain financial reward or success from one’s actions easily and consistently): Midaan kosketus (Finnish), toque de Midas [masculine] (Galician), tocco di Mida [masculine] (Italian), toque de Midas [masculine] (Portuguese)
Disambiguation of 'ability to gain financial reward or success from one’s actions easily and consistently': 47 53
{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "C.E.",
      "name": "C.E."
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From the Greek legend of King Midas, related in chapter XI of Ovid’s Metamorphoses (8 C.E.), whom Dionysus (the god of, among other things, wine and winemaking) gave the power to turn things to gold by touching them.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "Midas touch",
      "name": "en-proper noun"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "Mi‧das"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "name",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Gold",
          "orig": "en:Gold",
          "parents": [
            "Transition metals",
            "Chemical elements",
            "Metals",
            "Matter",
            "Metallurgy",
            "Chemistry",
            "Nature",
            "Technology",
            "Sciences",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Greek mythology",
          "orig": "en:Greek mythology",
          "parents": [
            "Ancient Greece",
            "Mythology",
            "Ancient Europe",
            "Ancient Near East",
            "History of Greece",
            "Culture",
            "Ancient history",
            "History of Europe",
            "Ancient Asia",
            "Greece",
            "History of Asia",
            "Society",
            "History",
            "Europe",
            "Asia",
            "All topics",
            "Earth",
            "Eurasia",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "45 55",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Fictional abilities",
          "orig": "en:Fictional abilities",
          "parents": [
            "Fiction",
            "Speculative fiction",
            "Artistic works",
            "Genres",
            "Art",
            "Entertainment",
            "Culture",
            "Society",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "derived": [
        {
          "_dis1": "76 24",
          "word": "reverse Midas touch"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The ability to turn everything one touches into gold."
      ],
      "id": "en-Midas_touch-en-name-GDkuPRlM",
      "links": [
        [
          "Greek",
          "Greek"
        ],
        [
          "mythology",
          "mythology"
        ],
        [
          "ability",
          "ability"
        ],
        [
          "turn",
          "turn"
        ],
        [
          "everything",
          "everything"
        ],
        [
          "touch",
          "touch"
        ],
        [
          "gold",
          "gold"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Greek mythology, literally) The ability to turn everything one touches into gold."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "_dis1": "76 24",
          "word": "chrysopoeia"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Greek",
        "literally"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "human-sciences",
        "mysticism",
        "mythology",
        "philosophy",
        "sciences"
      ]
    },
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "reverse Midas touch"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "44 56",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English allusions",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "42 58",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "34 66",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "37 63",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "32 68",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "35 65",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "37 63",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Galician translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "38 62",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "43 57",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Portuguese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "45 55",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Fictional abilities",
          "orig": "en:Fictional abilities",
          "parents": [
            "Fiction",
            "Speculative fiction",
            "Artistic works",
            "Genres",
            "Art",
            "Entertainment",
            "Culture",
            "Society",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The ability to achieve financial reward (or, more generally, success) from one's actions easily and consistently."
      ],
      "id": "en-Midas_touch-en-name--jTUqt-S",
      "links": [
        [
          "achieve",
          "achieve"
        ],
        [
          "financial",
          "financial"
        ],
        [
          "reward",
          "reward#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "success",
          "success"
        ],
        [
          "action",
          "action"
        ],
        [
          "easily",
          "easily"
        ],
        [
          "consistently",
          "consistently"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) The ability to achieve financial reward (or, more generally, success) from one's actions easily and consistently."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "golden touch"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˌmaɪdəs ˈtʌt͡ʃ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American",
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-Midas touch.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/4/41/En-au-Midas_touch.ogg/En-au-Midas_touch.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/En-au-Midas_touch.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "_dis1": "47 53",
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "ability to gain financial reward or success from one’s actions easily and consistently",
      "word": "Midaan kosketus"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "47 53",
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "sense": "ability to gain financial reward or success from one’s actions easily and consistently",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "toque de Midas"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "47 53",
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "ability to gain financial reward or success from one’s actions easily and consistently",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "tocco di Mida"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "47 53",
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "ability to gain financial reward or success from one’s actions easily and consistently",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "toque de Midas"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Ovid"
  ],
  "word": "Midas touch"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English allusions",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English eponyms",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English proper nouns",
    "English terms derived from Greek mythology",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with Galician translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "en:Fictional abilities"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "reverse Midas touch"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "C.E.",
      "name": "C.E."
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From the Greek legend of King Midas, related in chapter XI of Ovid’s Metamorphoses (8 C.E.), whom Dionysus (the god of, among other things, wine and winemaking) gave the power to turn things to gold by touching them.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "Midas touch",
      "name": "en-proper noun"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "Mi‧das"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "name",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "chrysopoeia"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Gold",
        "en:Greek mythology"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The ability to turn everything one touches into gold."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Greek",
          "Greek"
        ],
        [
          "mythology",
          "mythology"
        ],
        [
          "ability",
          "ability"
        ],
        [
          "turn",
          "turn"
        ],
        [
          "everything",
          "everything"
        ],
        [
          "touch",
          "touch"
        ],
        [
          "gold",
          "gold"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Greek mythology, literally) The ability to turn everything one touches into gold."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Greek",
        "literally"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "human-sciences",
        "mysticism",
        "mythology",
        "philosophy",
        "sciences"
      ]
    },
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "reverse Midas touch"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English idioms"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The ability to achieve financial reward (or, more generally, success) from one's actions easily and consistently."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "achieve",
          "achieve"
        ],
        [
          "financial",
          "financial"
        ],
        [
          "reward",
          "reward#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "success",
          "success"
        ],
        [
          "action",
          "action"
        ],
        [
          "easily",
          "easily"
        ],
        [
          "consistently",
          "consistently"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) The ability to achieve financial reward (or, more generally, success) from one's actions easily and consistently."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "golden touch"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˌmaɪdəs ˈtʌt͡ʃ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American",
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-Midas touch.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/4/41/En-au-Midas_touch.ogg/En-au-Midas_touch.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/En-au-Midas_touch.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "ability to gain financial reward or success from one’s actions easily and consistently",
      "word": "Midaan kosketus"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "sense": "ability to gain financial reward or success from one’s actions easily and consistently",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "toque de Midas"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "ability to gain financial reward or success from one’s actions easily and consistently",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "tocco di Mida"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "ability to gain financial reward or success from one’s actions easily and consistently",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "toque de Midas"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Ovid"
  ],
  "word": "Midas touch"
}

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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-01-23 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-01-20 using wiktextract (0c0c1f1 and 4230888). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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