icing on the cake
A thing which intensifies the appreciation of something already good, or (ironic) the regretting of something already bad.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Winning the game was great, and the trophy was the icing on the cake.”
“I loved the new job offer, but the generous relocation bonus was the real icing on the cake.”
“The promotion was a significant career milestone, yet the unexpected invitation to lead the international project served as the perfect icing on the cake.”
- 01
cake and gingerbread
An easy or pleasant task or experience; a piece of cake.
- 02
cake crumbs
Hardly anything.
- 03
cake walk
Something extremely easy.
- 04
cakes and ale
The simple material pleasures of life.
- 05
eat one's cake and have it too
Alternative form of have one's cake and eat it too.
- 06
give and take
[Cockney slang]cake
- 07
have one's cake and eat it too
To benefit by having two things which are mutually incompatible (such as eating a piece of cake and yet still possessing that piece for future use).
- 08
let them eat cake
Used to express a profound disconnect between the elite and the unprivileged or underprivileged, suggesting a callous indifference or detachment to their suffering.
Last updated August 10, 2026