gild the lily

idiom

Meaning

To embellish or improve something unnecessarily.

Origin

disputed origin

A common misquotation of a line from William Shakespeare's play King John.

Examples

SIMPLE

The painting is perfect, so do not gild the lily.

CONTEXTUAL

The speech was already powerful and moving, so he did not need to gild the lily with extra flowery language.

COMPLEX

The architect designed a masterpiece of minimalist elegance, yet the client insisted on adding ornate gold trim, effectively gilding the lily.

Anchors to

Last updated April 17, 2026