like a duck takes to water

prepositional phrase

Very naturally; without effort.

“Near-synonyms: smoothly, gracefully”

Similar
like a knife through buttereasilyeffortlesslysmoothlygracefully
Opposite
like a fish out of water
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Meanings

prepositional phrase

alternative as a duck takes to water · alternative like a duck to water

  1. idiomaticsimileVery naturally; without effort.

    Near-synonyms: smoothly, gracefully

    1 more example

    She started skating and learned quickly, like a duck takes to water.

    Synonyms: like a knife through butter, easily, effortlessly, smoothly, gracefully · Antonyms: like a fish out of water

Synonyms & antonyms

prepositional phraseVery naturally; without effort.

Similar
like a knife through buttereasilyeffortlesslysmoothlygracefully
Opposite
like a fish out of water
Also see
as a duck takes to watereasy

Translations

Bulgarian като риба във вода
  • като риба във вода (kato riba văv voda)very naturally
Catalan com peix a l'aigua
  • com peix a l'aiguavery naturally
Chinese Mandarin 輕而易舉 /轻而易举
  • 輕而易舉 /轻而易举 (qīng'éryìjǔ)very naturally
Dutch als een vis in het water
  • als een vis in het watervery naturally
Finnish kuin kala vedessä
  • kuin kala vedessävery naturally
French comme un poisson dans l'eau
  • comme un poisson dans l'eauvery naturally
German wie ein Fisch im Wasser
  • wie ein Fisch im Wasservery naturally
Hungarian könnyedén, gyorsan
  • könnyedénvery naturally
  • gyorsanvery naturally
  • természetesenvery naturally
Japanese 水を得た魚
  • 水を得た魚 (mizu o eta uo)very naturally
Latvian kā zivs ūdenī
  • kā zivs ūdenīvery naturally
Polish jak ryba w wodzie
  • jak ryba w wodzievery naturally
Russian как ры́ба в воде́
  • как ры́ба в воде́ (kak rýba v vodé)very naturally
Spanish como pez en el agua
  • como pez en el aguavery naturally
Ukrainian як ри́ба в воді́
  • як ри́ба в воді́ (jak ríba v vodí)very naturally
Yiddish ווי אַ פֿיש אין וואַסער
  • ווי אַ פֿיש אין וואַסער (vi a fish in vaser)very naturally
Cite this entry
APA

like a duck takes to water. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/like%20a%20duck%20takes%20to%20water

MLA

“like a duck takes to water.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/like%20a%20duck%20takes%20to%20water. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “like a duck takes to water,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/like%20a%20duck%20takes%20to%20water.

Source: like a duck takes to water on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.