Shooting Fish in a Barrel.
English
idiom
Something that is extremely easy to do.
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Something that is extremely easy to do.
Trusted by1.5M+English learners & teachers worldwide
Something so easy it requires almost no skill or effort — an unfairly simple task or competition.
When something is like shooting fish in a barrel, the outcome is virtually guaranteed because the odds are so heavily in your favor.
It is often used to describe competitions or challenges that are barely worth having.
"Easy as Pie"
—
Something simple and effortless, without the connotation of an unfair advantage over others
"A Walk in the Park"
—
Something enjoyably easy and pleasant to do, with no stress or difficulty
"Shooting Fish in a Barrel"
—
Something so easy it barely qualifies as a challenge due to an overwhelming advantage
The pitch is to a client who already loves our work — how worried are you?
Not at all — it's practically shooting fish in a barrel. Just don't blow it by being complacent.
Did you beat him at chess?
Shooting fish in a barrel — he'd only learned the rules that morning.
Is it ethical to enter a competition when you know you have an overwhelming advantage?
It depends — but at some point it stops being a contest and starts being shooting fish in a barrel.
