cup of tea

noun phrase

1
: something one likes or excels in
I see already that storytelling isn't my cup of teaJohn Barth
also : a person suited to one's taste
2
: a thing to be reckoned with : matter
poltergeists are a different cup of teaD. B. W. Lewis

Examples of cup of tea in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Perhaps an essential oil diffuser is always buzzing in your home, or a cup of tea relaxes you instantly. Maggie Gillette, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 May 2024 Canary Wharf can be likened to any other financial hub area in the world—stoic, functional and not everyone’s cup of tea. Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 13 May 2024 If something was too melodic, whether in a guitar line, a melody or a vocal, that just wasn’t his cup of tea. David Browne, Rolling Stone, 9 May 2024 The series tells the story of Donny (Richard Gadd, reenacting a version of his own life), a bartender and wannabe comedian who serves Martha (Jessica Gunning) a free cup of tea, unknowingly starting a yearslong odyssey that begins with thousands of harassing emails and gets worse from there. Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 9 May 2024 What starts off as Donny offering her a cup of tea out of sympathy turns into a twisted and complex relationship where Martha wreaks havoc on Donny’s relationships. Selena Kuznikov, Variety, 8 May 2024 In the show, Gadd plays Donny Dunn, a struggling comedian working as a bartender, who offers a cup of tea one day to Martha (Gunning), a crying woman. Esther Zuckerman, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2024 What to Consider The open-concept style bathrooms may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 24 Apr. 2024 Certainly, having activities planned from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Sherry Kuehl, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cup of tea.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cup of tea was in 1932

Dictionary Entries Near cup of tea

Cite this Entry

“Cup of tea.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cup%20of%20tea. Accessed 23 May. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on cup of tea

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!