To gild the lily
Meaning
To add superfluous ornamentation or enhancement to something that is already perfect or sufficiently beautiful in its natural state.
Origin
This vivid phrase springs directly from the fertile mind of William Shakespeare, making its debut in his play King John, written around 1595. In Act IV, Scene 2, the character Salisbury delivers a powerful speech lamenting the futility of excessive embellishment. He states, "Therefore, to be possess'd with double pomp, To guard a title that was rich before, To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, To throw a perfume on the violet, To smooth the ice, or add another hue Unto the rainbow, or with taper-light To seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish, Is wasteful and ridiculous excess." While Shakespeare originally wrote "paint the lily" and "gild refined gold," the two ideas seamlessly merged over time into the more common modern expression "to gild the lily." The image of slathering gold onto a naturally pristine flower perfectly captures the absurdity of trying to improve upon perfection.
Examples
- Her performance was already flawless, so adding those extra flourishes felt like gilding the lily.
- The interior designer advised against adding more ornate trim, stating it would be gilding the lily on the room's elegant simplicity.