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piece of cake

something very easy

In Idioms & Sayings

In more detail

(idiom) something that is very easy to do

Examples

• The exam was a piece of cake – I finished it in twenty minutes.

How to use piece of cake

This idiom is used informally to describe tasks or situations that are simple and require little effort. It conveys a casual, conversational tone and is common in spoken English and informal writing. It carries a lighter, more colloquial feel than synonyms like 'effortless' or 'straightforward.'

Register: informal

Common phrases

• It's a piece of cake
• That was a piece of cake
• should be a piece of cake
• finding it a piece of cake
• treat something like a piece of cake

Synonyms

a breeze · child's play · a cinch · easy as pie · no sweat

Opposites

a tough nut to crack · an uphill battle · a nightmare

A common mistake

Learners sometimes use this phrase when the task is actually moderate in difficulty, forgetting that it specifically means something very easy, not merely manageable.

Nearby in Idioms & Sayings

cut corners, bite the bullet, break the ice, under the weather, cost an arm and a leg, spill the beans

Keep going

How to remember the words you read · Spaced repetition, explained