: to add unnecessary ornamentation to something beautiful in its own right.

What does it mean to paint the lily?

Definitions of paint the lily. verb. make unnecessary additions to what is already complete. synonyms: gild the lily. type of: add.

What is the opposite of gilding the lily?

There are no categorical antonyms for gild the lily. The verb gild the lily is defined as: To embellish or improve something unnecessarily.

What does the way of the lily mean?

Gild the lily describes the process of adorning or embellishing something that is already beautiful or already perfect. The idiom alludes to the fact that the flower of a lily is already perfect and needs no superficial embellishment to enhance it. The term gild the lily comes from a misquoting of Shakespeare.

How do you use gild the lily in a sentence?

1 Don't gild the lily. 2 Some people add a little brandy to the recipe but I feel this is gilding the lily. 3 The dress is perfect. Don't add anything to it at all.

Gild the lily Meaning

30 related questions found

What does the term to gild mean?

transitive verb. 1 : to overlay with or as if with a thin covering of gold. 2a : to give money to. b : to give an attractive but often deceptive appearance to was hired to gild the company's image.

How is gilding done?

Polished iron, steel and other metals are gilded mechanically by applying gold leaf to the metallic surface at a temperature just under red-hot, pressing the leaf on with a burnisher, then reheating when additional leaf may be laid on. The process is completed by cold burnishing.

What does the phrase high and dry mean?

1 : being out of reach of the current or tide or out of the water. 2 : being in a helpless or abandoned position. Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More About high and dry.

What is the meaning of guilding?

Guildingnoun. the art or practice of overlaying or covering with gold leaf; also, a thin coating or wash of gold, or of that which resembles gold.

What does gild the lily mean cooking?

phrase [VERB inflects] If you say that someone is gilding the lily, you mean that they are spoiling something that is already beautiful or perfect by trying to improve it or by praising it too highly. When it comes to cooking there is no need to gild the lily .

What does Propitiously mean?

1 : favorably disposed : benevolent. 2 : being a good omen : auspicious propitious sign. 3 : tending to favor : advantageous.

What does Distute mean?

1 : lacking something needed or desirable a lake destitute of fish. 2 : lacking possessions and resources especially : suffering extreme poverty a destitute old man.

What does gilded mean in history?

gilded Add to list Share. Something gilded looks like gold, whether it is or not. ... You might have first heard the word gilded in the name of a historical period in the U.S. known as The Gilded Age; the name suggests that the appearance of wealth concealed actual poverty.

What is the meaning of take a rain Cheque?

1 : a ticket stub good for a later performance when the scheduled one is rained out. 2 : an assurance of a deferred extension of an offer especially : a document assuring that a customer can take advantage of a sale later if the item or service offered is not available (as by being sold out)

What is the meaning of cross the bridge when you come to it?

Definition of cross that bridge when one comes to it

: to not worry about a possible problem until it actually happens I don't know how we'll pay the bills if you quit your job, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

What does stop beating around the bush mean?

to avoid giving a definite answer or position. Please stop beating around the bush and tell me the full story.

Where did the phrase gild the lily come from?

You might be aware that "gild the lily" is attributed to Shakespeare, but there is a catch -- the phrase used in Shakespeare's play King John is actually "to paint the lily." The quotation reads, in part, "To gild refined gold, to paint the lily / To throw a perfume on the violet. . .. / Is wasteful and ridiculous ...

What is gilding art?

gilding, the art of decorating the whole or parts of wood, metal, plaster, glass, or other objects with gold in leaf or powder form. The term also embraces the application of silver, palladium, aluminum, and copper alloys.

What does gilt mean in jewelry?

gilt | ˈgilt. adjective. Gold or something resembling gold and luxury. Gilt is a general term referring to an object that is covered in a thin layer of gold or has an otherwise golden appearance. The term applies to a number of different types of jewelry, antiques, and fine artwork including frames on paintings.

What does it mean to gild a man?

to give a bright, pleasing, or specious aspect to. Archaic. to make red, as with blood.

What is gild in Gilded Age?

The term refers to the gilding of a cheaper metal with a thin layer of gold. Many critics complained that the era was marked by ostentatious display, crass manners, corruption, and shoddy ethics. Historians view the Gilded Age as a period of rapid economic, technological, political, and social transformation.

What does gilding mean on Reddit?

Reddit Coins are a brand new virtual currency that allows you to reward users (also known as Gilding) for quality submissions and comments they make. ... In addition to showing a Gold Award badge next to the comment or submissions, it also provides the user with one free week of Reddit Premium and costs 500 Reddit Coins.

What were 3 major problems of the Gilded Age?

This period during the late nineteenth century is often called the Gilded Age, implying that under the glittery, or gilded, surface of prosperity lurked troubling issues, including poverty, unemployment, and corruption.

What French term means hands off?

laissez faire Add to list Share. From the government allowing the business world to set its own course to your babysitter who let you do whatever you wanted — if something is laissez faire, it's "hands off."

What did it mean to be a robber baron?

A robber baron is one of America's successful industrialists during the 19th century, which was also known as the Gilded Age. A robber baron is a term that is also sometimes attributed to any successful businessperson whose practices are considered unethical or unscrupulous.