cushion

cushion — noun

1. a soft object filled with foam, feathers, or similar padding, placed on a chair

1.nounB1
Definition

a soft object filled with foam, feathers, or similar padding, placed on a chair or seat so that sitting or leaning feels more pleasant

Example

Ravindra bought three new cushions for the living room sofa.

countable noun; cushion + for + location

The old cat curled up on a soft cushion by the window.

Common collocations
  • sofa cushion
  • seat cushion
  • foam cushion
  • feather cushion
  • throw cushion
Synonyms
  • pillow

    usually for beds and sleeping; larger than a cushion

  • pad

    thinner and flatter; often used for protection rather than comfort

Grammar Patterns

a/an + cushion

cushion + on/about + place

Usage Note

A cushion is usually smaller and placed on a chair or sofa, while a pillow is larger and used on a bed for the head.

Common Mistakes

I rest my head on a cushion at night.
I rest my head on a pillow at night.
A cushion is for chairs and sofas; a pillow is for beds.

2. an amount of money, time, or other resource that you keep available to reduce th

2.nounB2
Definition

an amount of money, time, or other resource that you keep available to reduce the harm when something difficult or unexpected happens

Example

Benjamin kept three months of savings as a cushion against losing his job.

cushion + against + negative event

The insurance policy gave the family a financial cushion after the fire destroyed their home.

Common collocations
  • financial cushion
  • safety cushion
  • comfortable cushion
  • cushion against
Synonyms
  • buffer

    more neutral; used in both physical and abstract contexts

  • safety net

    stronger implication of preventing complete failure

  • reserve

    focuses on the stored resource itself, not its protective function

Grammar Patterns

a cushion + against + noun

a cushion + of + noun

Usage Note

Frequently combined with adjectives such as financial, comfortable, or safety. The preposition against introduces the potential problem (e.g., a cushion against inflation).

Common Mistakes

I have a cushion money for emergencies.
I have a financial cushion for emergencies.
Use an adjective like 'financial' or 'safety' before 'cushion'; do not use 'cushion' as an adjective modifying another noun.

3. an enclosed region of air or gas that lifts a vehicle or prevents two surfaces f

3.nounB2
Definition

an enclosed region of air or gas that lifts a vehicle or prevents two surfaces from making contact

Example

The hovercraft moves across water on a cushion of air.

countable singular; cushion of + substance

Engineers designed a cushion of compressed gas to lift the heavy platform.

Common collocations
  • cushion of air
  • air cushion
  • cushion of gas
Synonyms
  • layer

    more general; does not imply a protective or lifting function

Grammar Patterns

a cushion of + substance (air, gas, water)

Usage Note

This is a technical sense, most commonly found in discussions of hovercraft, air-hockey tables, and some industrial machines.

4. a mechanical piece or material that softens sudden force or stops vibrations fro

4.nounC1
Definition

a mechanical piece or material that softens sudden force or stops vibrations from traveling through a machine or structure

Example

A rubber cushion between the engine and the frame absorbs most of the vibration.

cushion + location (between X and Y)

Eli placed a rubber cushion under the washing machine to reduce the noise below.

Common collocations
  • rubber cushion
  • spring cushion
  • cushion between
Synonyms
  • damper

    technical term; specifically reduces oscillation or vibration

  • shock absorber

    more common in everyday language for vehicles

  • buffer

    can refer to any mediating object or system

Grammar Patterns

a cushion + between/under/on

Usage Note

This is a technical meaning used in engineering contexts. In everyday English, people usually say shock absorber or padding instead.

5. the raised padded border that runs along the sides of a billiard or snooker tabl

5.nounC1
Definition

the raised padded border that runs along the sides of a billiard or snooker table and makes the balls spring back when they hit it

Example

The ball bounced off the cushion and rolled toward the corner pocket.

preposition phrase: off the cushion

Nellie noticed the rubber cushion on her pool table was starting to wear out.

Common collocations
  • rubber cushion
  • table cushion
  • bounce off the cushion
Synonyms
  • rim

    general term; not specific to the padded surface that cushions balls

Grammar Patterns

the cushion

off the cushion

Usage Note

Only used in the context of billiards, snooker, and pool. Outside these sports, this meaning is unknown to most English speakers.

cushion — verb

Word family

  • cushioned
    adjectiveB2
  • cushioning
    nounC1
  • cushioning
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe soft objects used for comfort or support, but they differ in typical placement and purpose. A cushion is usually placed on a chair, sofa, or seat to make sitting more comfortable. A pillow is larger and designed for resting the head on a bed. A pad is thinner and flatter, often used for protection (knee pads, shoulder pads) or as a surface for writing. A bolster is a long, narrow pillow that provides back or neck support, commonly seen across the width of a bed or on a sofa. For example: 'The sofa looked plain until Anya added bright cushions,' but 'Eli placed a cool pillow under his head before falling asleep.' When buying furniture accessories, Taiwanese learners should note that '座墊' (seat cushion) and '枕頭' (pillow) are not interchangeable.

cushion ↗pillow ↗pad ↗bolster

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • cushion the blow
  • provide a cushion
  • act as a cushion
  • serve as a cushion

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'cushion' entered English from Old French 'coissin', which came from Latin 'coxinus' — a pad for sitting on, derived from 'coxa' (hip). So the original meaning was literally 'something you sit on with your hips.' Over centuries, the word broadened from a seat pad to any soft object that provides comfort, and later to anything — physical or abstract — that softens an impact or protects against difficulty.