画蛇添足 / 畫蛇添足

huà shé tiān zú

Meaning

• literally draw legs on a snake (idiom) · figuratively to ruin the effect by adding something superfluous
• to overdo it

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Example sentences

• 不要画蛇添足。

  不要畫蛇添足。

  bú yào huà shé tiān zú。

  Don't overdo it.

Study this word in

• HSK 3.0 · Levels 7-9
• HSK 2.0 · Level 6
• Chengyu · Chengyu