cherry on top
/ˌt͡ʃɛɹi ɑn ˈtɑp/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.16 in modern English
21
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
2
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Synonym of icing on the cake (“a thing which intensifies the appreciation of something already good, or (ironic) the regretting of something already bad”).
Example Sentences
- "To me—the doing is what counts. Success—fame or fortune—sure, those are the cherries on top. Try to find the joy in the doing."
- "The memories are the cherries on top."
- "Everything is possible, [Gareth] Southgate had said on Sunday, as he sought to consign the dismal [UEFA] Nations League campaign to unwanted history. This was a display to fire optimism. There was even the cherry on top of a late sixth for Jack Grealish, who had entered as a substitute, from a pull-back from another replacement, Callum Wilson."
- "But at least investment was on the agenda. Now the state of the industry can be described as blancmange, an incoherent muddle without even a cherry on top. And that has not gone unnoticed."
Etymology
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˌt͡ʃɛɹi ɑn ˈtɑp/
- British English: /ˌt͡ʃɛɹi ɒn ˈtɒp/