v. phr. To add unnecessarily to something already beautiful or good enough. To talk about a beautiful sunset is to gild the lily. For the beautiful girl to use makeup would be to gild the lily. Frank's father is a millionaire, but Frank gilds the lily by saying he is a billionaire.
PAINT THE LILY
Meaning of PAINT THE LILY in English
American idioms English vocabulary. Английский словарь американских идиом. 2012