cushions
cushions — noun
- cushionssingular
- cushionsesplural
1. A cushion is a soft object filled with foam, feathers, air, or similar material.
A cushion is a soft object filled with foam, feathers, air, or similar material. People put cushions on chairs, sofas, or the floor to sit or lean on them comfortably.
Quan sank into the soft cushions on the living room sofa after a long day.
sink into + cushions (comfort collocation)
Hugo bought new feather cushions for his wooden kitchen chairs.
The cat curled up on a blue cushion in the corner of the room.
Manuela plumped the cushions on the guest bed before her sister arrived.
The children piled cushions from the couch onto the floor to build a fort.
文法句型
cushion on [furniture]
cushion for [sitting or leaning]
常見錯誤
2. In engineering, a cushion is a soft section built from trapped air, foam, or rub
In engineering, a cushion is a soft section built from trapped air, foam, or rubber that holds equipment steady and lessens the shock from hard knocks or sudden movement.
The hovercraft moves on a thin cushion of air above the water surface.
cushion of air (technical collocation)
Vikram checked the rubber cushions inside the machine for signs of damage.
A thick foam cushion protects the engine from sudden shocks during transport.
The landing gear uses an air cushion to absorb the force when the plane lands.
文法句型
cushion of [material]
air cushion
用法筆記
Often used in technical or engineering contexts. The phrase 'cushion of air' is the most common expression for this sense.
3. The cushion is the raised border that runs around the playing surface of a billi
The cushion is the raised border that runs around the playing surface of a billiard or snooker table. Players hit balls so they bounce off this edge.
The ball hit the side cushion and rolled back across the table.
hit the cushion (billiards terminology)
Olivia aimed carefully so the cue ball would bounce off the far cushion.
bounce off the cushion (billiards technique)
The green cloth on the billiard table cushion was torn near the corner pocket.
Amira practiced banking shots off the side cushion to improve her pool game.
- rail
an alternative term used in pool, though less common in snooker
文法句型
hit the cushion
bounce off the cushion
用法筆記
This sense is mostly used for billiard, snooker, and pool tables. The edges of other game tables are usually called 'rails' or 'borders'.
常見錯誤
4. A cushion is something, such as money, savings, or support from other people, th
A cushion is something, such as money, savings, or support from other people, that makes a difficult or unpleasant situation easier to deal with by reducing the harm it causes.
The emergency fund acted as a financial cushion when Asher lost his job.
financial cushion (common collocation)
A strong network of friends provides a cushion against the hard times in life.
Nikos kept a cash cushion in his savings account for unexpected medical bills.
The company maintained a cushion of extra supplies to handle sudden increases in orders.
Haruto's scholarship gave him a financial cushion while he studied abroad.
- buffer
very similar meaning, often interchangeable; slightly more abstract
- safeguard
emphasises protection against potential harm
- protection
broader term, not limited to reducing severity
文法句型
cushion against [difficulty]
financial cushion
cushion of [resource]
用法筆記
Often followed by 'against' to name the difficulty: 'a cushion against inflation / unemployment / illness.' The subject is typically money, savings, or social support.
常見錯誤
cushions — verb
- cushionspresent simple I / you / we / they
- cushionses3rd person singular
- cushionsing-ing form
- cushionsedpast simple
1. To cushion something means to make its force, effect, or bad result weaker, so i
To cushion something means to make its force, effect, or bad result weaker, so it causes less harm, damage, or discomfort. You can cushion a physical fall or cushion someone from the effects of a difficult situation.
The thick carpet cushioned Tariq's fall when he slipped on the stairs.
cushioned + fall (physical impact)
The teacher tried to cushion the bad news about the cancelled trip.
Feng's years of experience cushioned him from the worst effects of the budget cuts.
The new packaging cushions fragile items during shipping.
João cushioned the disappointment with kind words about what the team had achieved.
文法句型
cushion [object] from [impact]
cushion [object] against [effect]
cushion the blow
用法筆記
Common in both literal contexts (physical impact) and figurative contexts (emotional or financial effects). Often used with 'from' or 'against'. The fixed phrase 'cushion the blow' is very frequent.