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

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

Archaic . to make red, as with blood. ?

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.

verb

adorn , aureate , aurify , beautify , bedeck , begild , brighten , coat , deck , dress up , embroider , engild , enhance , enrich , garnish , glitter , grace , ornament , overlay , paint , plate , tinsel , varnish , wash , whitewash *notes:gild means to decorate with gold leaf or liquid gold while a guild is a formal association of people with similar interests , gloss , gloze , sugarcoat , veneer , whitewash , candy , honey , sugar