gold-plated

• goldplated
• gold plated

gold-plated (not comparable)

1. Having a thin layer of gold applied to the surface, often by electrolysis.
2. (of projects, systems, etc.) Incorporating costly or otherwise excessive features or refinements unnecessarily; overengineered.
   • 1988, Sadhan Choudhury, “Concepts of Project Management”, in Project Management‎, Tata McGraw-Hill, →ISBN, page 33:

     One often hears of gold plated designs with reference to our engineers lack of concern for cost.

   • 2001, United States Congress, quoting Senator Max Baucus, Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the 107th Congress, First Session‎, Volume 147—Part 4: March 27, 2001 to April 23, 2001, Government Printing Office, Congressional Record—Senate April 3, 2001, page 5264:

     We have to do enough that works. Not a gold-plated program, but a solid one

   • 2008, David Starkie, “Testing the Regulatory Model”, in Aviation Markets: Studies on Competition and Regulatory Reform‎, Ashgate Publishing, →ISBN, page 108:

     The consequence of this regulatory approach is that it has provided an opportunity for airport companies to exercise their market power indirectly through higher-than-necessary levels of investment in capacity and in costly gold-plated investment.

   • 2008, Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development, “Economic and Policy Instruments to Promote Adapation”, in Shardul Agrawala, Samuel Frankhauser, editors, Economic Aspects of Adaptation to Climate Change: Costs, Benefits and Policy‎, OECD Publishing, →ISBN, Public private partnerships, page 125:

     There are countless examples of gold-plated or excessive infrastructure projects — whether publicly or privately financed.

   • 2021 November 17, Andrew Mourant, “Okehampton: a new dawn for Dartmoor”, in RAIL, number 944, page 41:

     "[...] We could have made this a gold-plated railway but that would have cost a considerable amount more than £40m."

3. (of laws, regulations, etc.) Embellished to excess, especially so as to be stifling, or rigid and inflexible.
   • 2002 January 29, Peter Ainsworth, “Farming and Food Commission Report”, in parliamentary debates (House of Commons)‎, column 155:

     Has society introduced swathes of new gold-plated regulations?

   • 2007, House of Lords: European Union Committee, quoting Baroness Gale, Modernising European Union Labour Law: Has the UK Anything to Gain?, Report with Evidence, 22nd Report of Session 2006-07‎, The Stationery Office, →ISBN, 29 March 2007: Ms Susan Anderston and Mr Tom Moran, page 32:

     The UK has this gold-plated approach, is that beneficial to the UK in terms of the rest of Europe and in terms of the business and the employees? Do we benefit to a greater degree by adopting such an approach

The sense relating to laws and regulations is particularly used in relation to European Union directives

• gold plate

gold-plated

1. simple past and past participle of gold-plate

• gild the lily