Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

put lipstick on a pig

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.55 in modern English

Syllables: put lip-stick- on a pig
IPA

30

Scrabble Score

17

Letters

3

Syllables

12

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To superficially alter something in the hope of making it seem more appealing than it is in actuality.

Slang

Example Sentences

"Near-synonyms: polish a turd, sugarcoat the pill"
"That new box is like putting lipstick on a pig. It's still the same buggy program inside."
"Fran Healy, Mets announcer and former Giants catcher (about the possibility of putting a dome on Candlestick): "It would be like putting lipstick on a pig.""

Usage

Slang

Inflected Forms

puts lipstick on a pig (present, singular) putting lipstick on a pig (participle, present)

Phrases

mutton dressed as lamb old wine in a new bottle you can't make a silk purse of a sow's ear you can't polish a turd cast pearls before swine

Frequently Paired Words

mutton dressed as lamb old wine in a new bottle you can't make a silk purse of a sow's ear you can't polish a turd cast pearls before swine

Synonyms

polish a turd sugarcoat the pill

Questions

What does put lipstick on a pig mean?: To superficially alter something in the hope of making it seem more appealing than it is in actuality.

How to pronounce put lipstick on a pig

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