What does "cakewalk" mean?
A contest in which cake was offered for the best dancers.
Cakewalk
/ˈkeɪk.wɔk/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A contest in which cake was offered for the best dancers.
- Grammar: cakewalk is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: breeze, breezes, cinch, cinches.
- Useful contrasts: arduous, arduous task, complicate.
- Usage evidence: You can do it. It'll be a cakewalk!
How to use "cakewalk"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "cakewalk" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "cakewalk" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "cakewalk" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "cakewalk" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "cakewalk" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "breeze" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "cakewalk", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A contest in which cake was offered for the best dancers. historical
- 2 an easy accomplishment wordnet
- 3 The style of music associated with such a contest.
- 4 a strutting dance based on a march; was performed in minstrel shows; originated as a competition among Black dancers to win a cake wordnet
- 5 The dance, or strutting style of dance, associated with such a contest.
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Something that is easy or simple, or that does not present a great challenge. idiomatic, informal
"Just as common as she is, a cakewalk sort of a name."
Verb
- 1 To perform the cakewalk dance. intransitive
- 2 perform the cakewalk dance wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"You can do it. It'll be a cakewalk!"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "cakewalk"?
Common synonyms include: breeze, breezes, cinch, cinches, cruise, dance.
How do you use "cakewalk" in a sentence?
You can do it. It'll be a cakewalk!
How do you pronounce "cakewalk"?
Pronounced /ˈkeɪk.wɔk/.
Etymology
From cake + walk. Originally an African-American form of dance and music that developed after the Civil War, later popularised by minstrel shows. It was danced at social events, with the best dancers often receiving cake as a prize. It derives from dance competitions by plantation slaves in which the style of dance lampooned the ballroom dances of the slaveowners. Slaveowners seem to have found the competitions entertaining and the habit of offering cake may originate from this period. The name is sometimes also applied to the dance's precursor on the plantations. Doing the cakewalk well required virtuosity, and a major aesthetic aspect of that virtuosity was the apparent ease with which the dance was performed. This gave rise to the idiom as easy as a cakewalk, which in turn led to the sense of cakewalk as something that is easy. See the linked Wikipedia article for more.