English Explanatory Dictionary

piece of cake

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A job, task or other activity that is pleasant or, by extension, easy or simple.
  2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see piece, cake.

Pronunciation

/ˈpiːsə(v)ˈkeɪk/ en-us-piece of cake.ogg En-au-piece of cake.ogg

Word forms

piece of cake pieces of cake

Etymology

Attested since 1936, originally in American English. Possibly from cakewalk, or the notion of facility that derives from many cakes having agreeable tastes, and hence being ‘easy’ to consume. Compare French être du gâteau (literally “to be a cake”), être de la tarte (literally “to be a pie”), both meaning "to be easy, to be a piece of cake".

Synonyms

breeze cakewalk child's play cinch doddle duck soup walk in the park walkover bagatelle waltz cake and gingerbread doss easy pickings gimme layup low-hanging fruit no-brainer open and shut case picnic piece of cake piece of piss plain sailing plane sailing slam dunk snap

Related words

easy as pie
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