Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

gild the lily

/ˈɡɪld ðə ˈlɪli/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.42 in modern English

Syllables
gild the lily
IPA
/ˈɡɪld ðə ˈlɪli/
19
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
1
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To embellish or improve something unnecessarily.

verb

To add superfluous attributes to something.

Example Sentences

Etymology

A common misquotation of a line from William Shakespeare's play King John.

Inflected Forms

gilds the lily (present, singular) gilding the lily (participle, present) gilded the lily (participle, past) gilded the lily (past)

Phrases

gold-plated

Frequently Paired Words

gold-plated

Synonyms

go overboard overegg over-egg the pudding paint the lily

Questions

How do you pronounce gild the lily?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɡɪld ðə ˈlɪli/.
What does gild the lily mean?
To embellish or improve something unnecessarily.
Where does gild the lily come from?
A common misquotation of a line from William Shakespeare's play King John.

How to pronounce gild the lily

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “gild the lily”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈɡɪld ðə ˈlɪli/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “gild the lily”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “gild the lily” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.