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Synonyms

gild

1 American  
[gild] / gɪld /

verb (used with object)

gilded, gilt, gilding

  1. to coat with gold, gold leaf, or a gold-colored substance.

  2. to give a bright, pleasing, or specious aspect to.

  3. Archaic. to make red, as with blood.

idioms

  1. 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.
gild 2 American  
[gild] / gɪld /

noun

  1. guild.

gild 1 British  
/ ɡɪld /

verb

  1. to cover with or as if with gold

    1. to adorn unnecessarily something already beautiful

    2. to praise someone inordinately

  3. to give a falsely attractive or valuable appearance to

  4. archaic to smear with blood

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
gild 2 British  
/ ɡɪld /

noun

  1. a variant spelling of guild

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • gildable adjective
  • gilder noun
  • gildsman noun

Etymology

Origin of gild

1300–50; Middle English gilden, Old English -gyldan; akin to gold

Explanation

To gild something is to cover it with gold. You gild an object in order to decorate it — or just to show off your wealth. From forks to picture frames, gilding can make objects seem ritzy, glamorous, and more valuable. However, some things in life just don’t need a coat of gold. If someone says you are “gilding the lily,” they mean that you are trying to improve on something that is already perfect.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

There are plenty of signs that the gild is coming off the lily of the most robust AI forecasts.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

“The challenge of it was to try to go to that place but not gild the lily too much,” Scott says.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 9, 2024

It does not soar over the East River or gild the windswept entrance to San Francisco Bay.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 9, 2022

Overall, the official said, “I don’t want to gild the lily. . . . We’ve had questions to answer. But I think we are providing answers . . . not only words of reassurance, but also joint action.”

From Washington Post • Oct. 16, 2021

He might gild it, but in truth it was lacking.

From "Typical American" by Gish Jen

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.