gild the lily

Verb

Meaning

make unnecessary additions to what is already complete

adorn unnecessarily (something that is already beautiful)

Source: WordNet

Synonyms

paint the lily colour elaborate disguise exaggerate embellish embroider gild dress up touch up accessorize go too far go overboard overdo it over-egg the pudding

Show all synonyms

Antonyms

underact underdo do insufficiently do less than needed

Hypernyms

grace add decorate ornament adorn beautify

Examples

My favorite way to cook trout is whole, bone-in, on the grill. The fish are stuffed with sliced lemons and herb sprigs, brushed with oil, and cooked over fairly hot coals until the skin is crisp and the flesh is moist and flaky. Go ahead and gild the lily by adding a sauce. Tom Douglas

If you can figure out where you fit into any particular story, you'll be okay. When you're not quite sure where you fit in, you try to be too many parts of the story. You gild the lily. I see it all the time. John C. McGinley

Close letter words and terms

Gilchrist-Thomas process Gilcrease gild gild the pill Gilda gildable