cakewalk

[ keyk-wawk ]
See synonyms for cakewalk on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. (formerly) a promenade or march, of Black American origin, in which the couples with the most intricate or eccentric steps received cakes as prizes.

  2. a dance with a strutting step based on this promenade.

  1. music for this dance.

  2. Informal. something easy, sure, or certain.

verb (used without object)
  1. to walk or dance in or as if in a cakewalk.

Origin of cakewalk

1
First recorded in 1860–65; cake + walk

Other words from cakewalk

  • cakewalker, noun

Words Nearby cakewalk

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use cakewalk in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cakewalk

cakewalk

/ (ˈkeɪkˌwɔːk) /


noun
  1. a dance based on a march with intricate steps, originally performed by African-Americans with the prize of a cake for the best performers

  2. a piece of music composed for this dance

  1. informal an easily accomplished task

verb
  1. (intr) to perform the cakewalk

Derived forms of cakewalk

  • cakewalker, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012