What does the Idiom “A Walk In The Park” mean?
A walk in the park is used to show that something is not hard to do, it’s very easy.
Let me explain with a simple story. Please look at the following example sentences:
- “I was never very good at sports in high school but my brother played rugby and hockey. He won many trophies. Athletics were hard for me, but they were a walk in the park for my brother.”
Can you guess the meaning? If something is a walk in the park is it difficult or easy? Look at the last sentence again:
Athletics were hard for me, but they were a walk in the park for my brother.
The conjunction BUT is showing the difference between me and my brother. Athletics were HARD for me but A WALK IN THE PARK for my brother. We get the feeling that A WALK IN THE PARK is the opposite of HARD. So…
A walk in the park means something is very easy, not difficult at all.
I bet you figured that out!
Learn more about conjunctions at my blog post: Although, Though, Even Though (25 real examples, Video + Free PDF) |
A Walk In The Park Examples
The final exam was much easier than I anticipated, it was a walk in the park compared to the midterm. |
A walk in the park is a common idiom that we often use in conversation.
- Our team won the game 7 to zero. The match was a walk in the park.
- I used to be a mountain climbing guide in New Zealand. Reaching the top of Mount Fuji will be a walk in the park for me.
- I have a lot of experience teaching English as a second language. Finding good blog topics to write about is a walk in the park.
Finding good English blog topics to write about is a walk in the park. |
Not A Walk In The Park Examples
It’s also common to use a negative version with NO/NOT to show that something was not, is not, or will not be easy.
- I’m sure your job is difficult, but mine is no walk in the park either.
- This is a big project and it’s very important. Next week will not be a walk in the park for us. We have a lot of work to do.
- Gardening seems relaxing, but when you have a huge garden like me it’s no walk in the park.
When you have a huge garden like mine gardening is no walk in the park. |
A synonym for NOT a walk in the park is difficult or not easy
It often carries a feeling of:
It’s more difficult than you might think.
- I’m sure your job is difficult, but mine is no walk in the park either. (My job is more difficult than you think.)
- This is a big project and it’s very important. Next week will not be a walk in the park for us. We have a lot of work to do. (The project will be more difficult than you might think.)
- Gardening seems relaxing, but when you have a huge garden like me it’s no walk in the park. (Taking care of a big garden it’s not as easy as you think.)
Some headlines from Google with the expression A walk in the park.
Moving to Amsterdam is not a walk in the park – LINK
Recent Royal Scandals Are Making ‘Megxit’ Look Like a ‘Walk in the Park,’ Expert Says – LINK
I published the first version of this blog post in 2014 during the World Cup. The example below is from a news article talking about Ecuador and its chances to be successful in the tournament.
Antonio Valencia: The Key to Ecuador’s Success
“Despite having a solid squad Ecuador has been placed in a tough group featuring the likes of France (FIFA Ranking-16) and Switzerland (FIFA Ranking-6). Valencia, arguably the fastest player on the planet will have to use all of his capabilities to lead his country past two of the world’s best teams. Both Switzerland and France have to be weary though, because if Valencia plays to his full potential, the Ecuadorian team will be no walk in the park.” = it will NOT be easy to beat Ecuador. – LINK
A Walk In The Park FAQs
Is it Walk At The Park Or In The Park?
A walk in the park is correct. The preposition IN shows that we are inside something, in this case, we are inside the park.
- “There is a TV in my bedroom.”
- “I live in Japan.”
The preposition AT is used with verbs to show where something happens.
- We waited at the bus stop.
- Let’s meet at the train station.
You can do a deeper dive into these prepositions at my blog post here: How to Use the prepositions IN AT ON (Graphics, Story, Videos)
What is the Origin of Walk In The Park?
This expression is believed to have originated in the late 1930s in America and was initially used to describe a skilled and effortless round of golf.
Effortless is a great example of how we use the suffix -able to change the meaning of words we already know. You can do a deep dive into the suffix -ABLE out of my blog post here: 32 Common Examples of the Suffix -ABLE (With Definitions) |
We can imagine a golf course as having lots of wide open green fields of grass. It’s an environment that is easy to connect to a park. SOURCE
The Origin of Walk In The Park may come from golf. |
Is A Walk In The Park always used in a positive sense?
While “a walk in the park” is generally used to describe an easy or pleasant experience, it can also be used sarcastically to describe a situation that is unexpectedly difficult.
Are there any other idioms that have a similar meaning to A Walk In The Park?
Yes, there are several idioms that are used to describe an easy task, such as “a piece of cake,” “a breeze,” or “a cakewalk.”
Can A Walk In The Park be used in a professional setting?
Yes, “a walk in the park” can be used in both informal and professional settings to describe a task or project that is easy to accomplish.
*Be careful when you use this idiom in a professional setting, use it to sound confident but not to sound cocky.
If you’re not sure, here are some safe expressions you can use to show that something will be easy but not sound cocky about it.
- That shouldn’t be a problem.
- I can handle that.
- That doesn’t sound too difficult.
You’re the company’s top architect, so this project should be a walk in the park for you. |
What is easy for you? What’s a walk in the park? Did you have an experience once that was a walk in the park? Tell me in the blog comments.
Thanks to https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/walk_in_the_park
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Thanks to storyset.com a division of freepik.com for the great images. Images that were used in this post are linked below.