to cover with or as if with gold - gild the lily ⇒
to adorn unnecessarily something already beautiful to praise someone inordinately to give a falsely attractive or valuable appearance to
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
gild1 /gɪld/USA pronunciation
v. [~ + object], gild•ed or gilt/gɪlt/USA pronunciation gild•ing.
gild•er, n. [countable]
gild•ing, n. [uncountable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- to coat with gold, gold leaf, or a gold-colored substance.
- Idioms gild the lily, to add unnecessary ornamental details to something already of great beauty.
gild•er, n. [countable]
gild•ing, n. [uncountable]
gild•ed
(gil′did),USA pronunciation adj.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- covered or highlighted with gold or something of a golden color.
- having a pleasing or showy appearance that conceals something of little worth.
- bef. 1000; gild1 + -ed2; replacing Middle English gild, Old English gegyld
gild1
(gild),USA pronunciation v.t., gild•ed or gilt, gild•ing.
gild′a•ble, adj.
gild2 (gild),USA pronunciation n.
- to coat with gold, gold leaf, or a gold-colored substance.
- to give a bright, pleasing, or specious aspect to.
- [Archaic.]to make red, as with blood.
- Idioms gild the lily, to add unnecessary ornamentation, a special feature, etc., in an attempt to improve something that is already complete, satisfactory, or ideal:After that wonderful meal, serving a fancy dessert would be gilding the lily.
- 1300–50; Middle English gilden, Old English -gyldan; akin to gold
gild2 (gild),USA pronunciation n.
- World Historyguild.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
- a variant spelling of
guild 2