cup of tea

noun phrase

1

: something one likes or excels in

I see already that storytelling isn't my cup of tea …

—John Barth

also : a person suited to one's taste

2

: a thing to be reckoned with : matter

… poltergeists are a different cup of tea …

—D. B. W. Lewis

Examples of cup of tea in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Tea Forte Winter Chalet Advent Calendar There isn’t anything much better than starting or ending a cold winter’s day with a steaming hot cup of tea. —Gabriela Izquierdo, Southern Living, 4 Dec. 2025

Meanwhile, the cushy-looking Garret armchair looks like the perfect place to sit with a good book and a warm cup of tea on a quiet afternoon. —Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 1 Dec. 2025

The college boys would gather around a charpoy set in front of the food stall, playing for cups of tea or plates of biscuits, contemplating the next move with the seriousness of parliamentary debaters, discussing strategy. —Daniyal Mueenuddin, New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2025

Bari Weiss is not everyone’s cup of tea, but no one can deny her meteoric rise. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 17 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for cup of tea

• abc
• absentee
• addressee
• adoptee
• agouti
• allottee
• amphorae
• amputee
• apc
• apogee
• appointee
• assessee