Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
verb (used with object), gild·ed or gilt, gild·ing.
- 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.
- 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.
verb gilds, gilding, gilded or gilt (ɡɪlt) (tr)
- 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
- archaic to smear with blood
noun
- a variant spelling of guild (def. 2)
Old English gyldan “to gild, to cover with a thin layer of gold,” from Proto-Germanic *gulthianan (cf. Old Norse gylla “to gild,” Old High German ubergulden “to cover with gold”), from *gulthan “gold” (see gold). Related: Gilded; gilding. Figuratively from 1590s.
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.”
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]