to paint the lily
01
to unnecessarily adorn or decorate something that is already beautiful or perfect
![to [paint|gild] the lily definition and meaning](https://cdn.langeek.co/photo/41054/original/?type=jpeg "to [paint|gild] the lily definition and meaning")
Idiom
Old use
例
The speech was already moving, but adding more dramatic language and gestures would gild the lily and make it seem insincere.
