Meaning & use
cherry on the cake
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Meanings
phraseidiominformal
A final small thing that makes a good situation even better.
Grammar: Used as a noun phrase, often after 'the' or 'a'. It is not used with a plural form.
Patterns
- the cherry on the cake
- the cherry on top
We had a wonderful holiday, and the sunny weather on the last day was the cherry on the cake.
She got the job, and being offered a company car was the cherry on the cake.
The party was great, but seeing all my old friends there was the cherry on top.
phraseidiominformal
An extra benefit or decoration that is pleasant but not necessary.
Grammar: Often used to talk about something added at the end that is nice but not essential.
Patterns
- be the cherry on the cake
- like the cherry on the cake
The basic salary is good, and the free lunches are just the cherry on the cake.
The new library is excellent, and the coffee shop inside is the cherry on the cake.
He passed all his exams, and winning the prize was the cherry on the cake.
Common combinations
- the cherry on the cake
- Getting a bonus was the cherry on the cake after a successful year.
- the cherry on top
- The beautiful sunset was the cherry on top of a perfect day.
- just the cherry on the cake
- The free dessert was just the cherry on the cake.
Synonyms and how they differ
- icing on the cake
- This is a very similar idiom, but it is more common in British English and slightly more formal.
- bonus
- A bonus is an extra reward, often money, while 'cherry on the cake' is a more general idiom for any final good addition.
Commonly confused: cherry on the cake or icing on the cake?
cherry on the cake vs icing on the cake
'Icing on the cake' is a very similar idiom with the same meaning. 'Cherry on the cake' is less common and slightly more informal.
Practice
Choose the best completion: 'We had a great time at the beach, and the ice cream was ____.'
Choose one answer.
The correct phrase is 'the cherry on the cake', which is a fixed idiom. 'A cherry on the cake' is not used because the idiom always takes 'the'. 'Cherry on the cake' without 'the' is grammatically incomplete in this context. 'The cherry on cake' is missing 'the' before 'cake'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cherry on the cake”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.