gild the lily

Cultural  

1. To adorn unnecessarily something that is already beautiful or perfect: “Morty had us all believing his tall tale until he couldn't resist gilding the lily.”

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gild the lily Idioms  

1. Add unnecessary adornment or supposed improvement. For example, Offering three different desserts after that elaborate meal would be gilding the lily. This expression is a condensation of Shakespeare's metaphor in King John (4:2): “To gild refined gold, to paint the lily ... is wasteful and ridiculous excess.” [c. 1800]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gild the lily

“The challenge of it was to try to go to that place but not gild the lily too much,” Scott says.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 9, 2024

If you feel you need to gild the lily, then keep working.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2023

But truly, there's no reason to gild the lily, so I think I'll go on making it just as my Nana and my mom did — and I wouldn't have it any other way.

From Salon ● Nov. 30, 2021

No need to gild the lily with endless words: Zion Williamson has played three NBA preseason games, and it's already clear that he's going to be one of the best players of his generation.

From Golf Digest ● Oct. 14, 2019

Photographs and lithographs cost money, and though Amy remonstrated that it was contrary to art to gild the lily, Martine replied that the end would justify her means.

From Brenda's Ward A Sequel to 'Amy in Acadia' by Reed, Helen Leah