as easy as pie
Meaning
Very easy to do; requiring little effort or skill.
Origin
Recorded in American English from the early 20th century. The comparison likely comes from pie being pleasant and straightforward (or at least familiar) to make/eat, so it became a metaphor for something very easy.
Notes
Casual, upbeat emphasis meaning “very easy.” It can also be used ironically when something turns out not to be easy.
Examples
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Once you learn the shortcuts, editing the video is as easy as pie.
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For her, solving that puzzle was as easy as pie.
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With this app, ordering groceries is as easy as pie.
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The coach made the new drill seem as easy as pie.
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After a few lessons, driving a manual car became as easy as pie.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Fixed simile pattern: “as + adjective + as + noun.” Usually “as easy as pie” (no article). Can be intensified (“really/pretty as easy as pie”). Adjective may inflect only by changing the adjective (easy) rather than the idiom’s structure.
Synonyms
- very easy
- simple
- effortless
- a piece of cake
- easy as ABC
Antonyms
- difficult
- hard
- challenging
- an uphill battle