Definition
画蛇添足 is a four-character idiom literally meaning 'draw legs on a snake' – it describes doing something unnecessary that ruins the original effect. Unlike 过头 (guò tóu), which simply means 'too much' as a degree complement, 画蛇添足 emphasizes that the addition is both superfluous and harmful to the whole.
phrase
to overdo somethingruining the effectto add something superfluous
Examples
- ，，画蛇添足。Zhè piān wénzhāng běnlái hěn jiǎnjié, zuìhòu yòu jiā le yí duàn jiěshì, fǎn'ér huà shé tiān zú le.This article was originally concise, but adding an explanation at the end actually ruined it.
- ，画蛇添足。Nǐ yǐjīng zài jiéwěi shuō chū le zhòngdiǎn, zài bǔchōng lìzi jiù shì huà shé tiān zú.You already made the key point at the end; adding examples would be overkill.
- ，画蛇添足。Hūnlǐ bùzhì yǐjīng gòu piàoliang le, fàng tài duō zhuāngshì fǎn'ér huà shé tiān zú.The wedding decoration was already beautiful enough; adding too many ornaments ruined the effect.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.