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Synonyms

no picnic

Idioms  

  1. Difficult, no fun, as in Recovering from abdominal surgery is no picnic. This expression, alluding to a picnic as a pleasant occasion, was first recorded in 1888.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Small-caps are no picnic either, with more than 40% of companies in the Russell 2000 being unprofitable, including lots of biotechs that require expertise to vet.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

Enough about the savory options, because no picnic is complete without its sweet fixings — and no summer picnic is complete without a cold treat to help battle the heat.

From Salon • Jul. 30, 2025

Much of Michelle Obama’s speech was managing expectations about how, even if Democrats feel euphoric now, the next couple of months will be no picnic.

From Slate • Aug. 21, 2024

“As a community, we had to fight so hard to get these very basic amenities. How are you going to build a park with no picnic areas next to the water?”

From Seattle Times • Apr. 14, 2024

It was no picnic taking care ofPa and me.

From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.