cushions

IPA/ˈkʊʃ.ən/
KK[kˈʊʃənz]IPA/ˈkʊʃ.ən/

cushions — noun

  • cushionssingular
  • cushionsesplural

1. A cushion is a soft object filled with foam, feathers, air, or similar material.

1.nounA2
Definition

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.

Example

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.

Common collocations
  • soft cushion
  • feather cushion
  • sofa cushion
  • chair cushion
  • floor cushion
  • plump the cushions
Synonyms
  • pillow

    usually for sleeping on in bed, not for sitting

  • pad

    thinner and often firmer, used for protection rather than comfort

  • bolster

    a long, narrow cushion placed across a bed or sofa

Grammar Patterns

cushion on [furniture]

cushion for [sitting or leaning]

Common Mistakes

I lay my head on the cushion to sleep.
I lay my head on the pillow to sleep.
A cushion is for sitting or leaning on; a pillow is for sleeping on in bed.

2. In engineering, a cushion is a soft section built from trapped air, foam, or rub

2.nounB2
Definition

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.

Example

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.

Common collocations
  • cushion of air
  • air cushion
  • foam cushion
  • rubber cushion
  • thick cushion
Synonyms
  • buffer

    a device or material that reduces the shock of impact

  • damper

    a device that reduces vibration or oscillation, more technical

  • pad

    a flat piece of soft material used for protection

Grammar Patterns

cushion of [material]

air cushion

Usage Note

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

3.nounB2
Definition

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.

Example

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)

Common collocations
  • side cushion
  • far cushion
  • hit the cushion
  • bounce off the cushion
  • bank off the cushion
Synonyms
  • rail

    an alternative term used in pool, though less common in snooker

Grammar Patterns

hit the cushion

bounce off the cushion

Usage Note

This sense is mostly used for billiard, snooker, and pool tables. The edges of other game tables are usually called 'rails' or 'borders'.

Common Mistakes

He hit the ball over the cushion.
The ball bounced off the cushion.
In billiards, the ball stays on the table and bounces off the cushion; it does not go over it.

4. A cushion is something, such as money, savings, or support from other people, th

4.nounB2
Definition

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.

Example

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.

Common collocations
  • financial cushion
  • cash cushion
  • cushion against
  • provide a cushion
  • comfortable cushion
Synonyms
  • buffer

    very similar meaning, often interchangeable; slightly more abstract

  • safeguard

    emphasises protection against potential harm

  • protection

    broader term, not limited to reducing severity

Antonyms
  • threat

    something that causes harm rather than reducing it

  • danger

    a source of risk rather than a protective measure

Grammar Patterns

cushion against [difficulty]

financial cushion

cushion of [resource]

Usage Note

Often followed by 'against' to name the difficulty: 'a cushion against inflation / unemployment / illness.' The subject is typically money, savings, or social support.

Common Mistakes

The extra money cushioned me from losing my position.
The extra money cushioned the effects of losing my position.
Cushion reduces the impact of something that has already happened, not prevents it.

cushions — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

These four verbs all describe reducing the force or effect of something, but they differ in scope and formality. 'Soften' is the most general and informal — you can soften a blow, sound, light, or a person's attitude. 'Cushion' is more specific to impacts (physical or figurative) and often implies an intervening layer. 'Buffer' suggests a barrier between two things that lessens their interaction, common in both technical and financial contexts. 'Absorb' focuses on taking in the force rather than reducing it at the source — a sponge absorbs water, a bumper absorbs impact. 'Mitigate' is the most formal, used in official or academic writing, and it implies making something less harmful rather than less forceful. For everyday speech, 'soften' and 'cushion' are the most natural choices.

soften ↗buffer ↗absorb ↗mitigate ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • cushion the blow
  • cushion the impact
  • cushion the fall
  • cushion of air
  • cushion of support

Adverbs

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'cushion' entered English from Old French 'cussin', which came from Latin 'culcita' meaning 'mattress' or 'quilt'. The original meaning was a soft pad for sitting or lying on. By the 1800s, the word had also developed a figurative sense referring to anything that softens the impact of a difficult situation. The mechanical sense (a layer of air or material that absorbs shock) came into use during the industrial era.

First known use

14th century

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Verb