IdiomFood & DrinkSpanish

dorar la píldora

Meaning: to make something unpleasant more palatable by presenting it attractively.

Literally: To gild the pill

Example: “El director doró la píldora antes de anunciar los recortes.” — The director sugarcoated the pill before announcing the cuts.

English equivalent: To sugarcoat the pill

Equivalents in other languages

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Origin: Bitter pills were once coated by apothecaries with a sweet substance, or gilded, to make them easier to swallow, as the Spanish Wiktionary explains. Gilding the pill is presenting unwelcome news in a more pleasant way. English and French have the same phrase, "gild the pill" and dorer la pilule.

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