Phrase guide

let them eat cake

phrase · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • lĕt thĕm′ ēt kāk
  • -thəm-
  • Received-Pronunciation: /lɛt ˌðɛm iːt keɪ̯k/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /let ˌðem iːt keɪ̯k/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /-ðəm-/
  • Canada, General-American: /lɛt ˌðɛm it keɪ̯k/
  • Canada, General-American: /-ðəm-/
  • Australian, New-Zealand: /let ˌðem iːt kæɪ̯k/
  • Australian, New-Zealand: /-ðəm-/
  • Scotland: /lɛt ˌðɛm it kek/
  • Scotland: /-ðəm-/
  • Scotland: /-ðʌm-/
  • India: /lɛ(ː)ʈ ˌðɛ(ː)m iːʈ keːk/
  • India: /-ðem-/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

phrase

Meaning 1

Used to express a profound disconnect between the elite and the unprivileged or underprivileged, suggesting a callous indifference or detachment to their suffering.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Calque of French qu'ils mangent de la brioche. Incorrectly attributed to the last Queen of France prior to the French Revolution Marie Antoinette (1755–1793), the phrase actually originates from Confessions (Rousseau).

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Esperanto: lasu ilin manĝi brioĉon — Translations
  • French: qu'ils mangent de la brioche — Translations
  • Polish: niech jedzą ciastka — Translations