Standard Lemma guide

cushion

noun · verb · 21 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.

  • Australian, Canada, General-American, New-Zealand, Received-Pronunciation: /ˈkʊʃən/
  • California: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • British, Southern, Standard: /ˈkɵʃən/
  • Northern-Ireland, Scotland: /ˈkʉʃən/
  • rhymes with -ʊʃən
  • CMU ARPABET: K UH1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A soft mass of material stuffed into a cloth bag, used for comfort or support.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A soft mass of material stuffed into a cloth bag, used for comfort or support.

A throw pillow.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Commonwealth, countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A soft mass of material stuffed into a cloth bag, used for comfort or support.

A thin, flat pad used on hard chairs and sometimes toilet seats.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Something acting as a cushion, especially to absorb a shock or impact.

A pad on which gilders cut gold leaf.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Something acting as a cushion, especially to absorb a shock or impact.

A mass of steam in the end of the cylinder of a steam engine to receive the impact of the piston.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

Something acting as a cushion, especially to absorb a shock or impact.

The lip around a table in cue sports which absorbs some of the impact of the billiard balls and bounces them back.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: ball-games, billiards, games, hobbies, lifestyle, pool, snooker, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

Something acting as a cushion, especially to absorb a shock or impact.

The pillow used in making bone lace.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

Something acting as a cushion, especially to absorb a shock or impact.

An engraver's pad.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

Something acting as a cushion, especially to absorb a shock or impact.

The rubber of an electrical machine.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, historical, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

Something acting as a cushion, especially to absorb a shock or impact.

A pad supporting a woman's hair.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, historical, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

a sufficient quantity of an intangible object (like points or minutes) to allow for some of those points, for example, to be lost without hurting one's chances for successfully completing an objective.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, figuratively, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

noun

Meaning 12

a sufficient quantity of an intangible object (like points or minutes) to allow for some of those points, for example, to be lost without hurting one's chances for successfully completing an objective.

Money kept in reserve.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, figuratively, uncountable

Topics: business, finance

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

noun

Meaning 13

The dancer in the cushion dance who currently holds the cushion, or the dance itself.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, historical, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

verb

Meaning 14

To furnish with cushions.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • to cushion a sofa

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: nestle, pad

Antonyms: none provided

15

verb

Meaning 15

To seat or place on, or as on a cushion.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

16

verb

Meaning 16

To absorb or deaden the impact of.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

Examples

  • to cushion a blow

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

17

verb

Meaning 17

To conceal or cover up, as under a cushion.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

18

noun

Meaning 18

a soft bag filled with air or a mass of padding such as feathers or foam rubber etc.

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: padding, cushioning

Narrower terms: air cushion, inflatable cushion, gaddi, hassock, headrest, head restraint, pillow, pincushion, seat cushion, throw pillow

19

noun

Meaning 19

the layer of air that supports a hovercraft or similar vehicle

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: layer, bed

20

noun

Meaning 20

a mechanical damper; absorbs energy of sudden impulses

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the old car needed a new set of shocks

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: shock absorber, shock

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: damper, muffler

Narrower terms: air cushion, air spring

21

verb

Meaning 21

protect from impact

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • cushion the blow

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: buffer, soften

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: modify

History

Etymology

From Middle English quysshyn, from later Old French coissin (modern coussin), from Vulgar Latin *coxīnus (“seat pad”), derived from Latin coxa (“hip, thigh”) (with the suffix possibly after Latin pulvīnus (“pillow”)), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *koḱs- (“joint, limb”).

Across languages

Translations

258 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: kussing — soft material in cloth bag
  • Albanian: jastëk — soft material in cloth bag
  • Albanian: kultër — soft material in cloth bag
  • Albanian: mëkresë — soft material in cloth bag
  • Amharic: ትራስ (təras) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Arabic: وِسَادَة (wisāda) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Arabic: وَسَادَة (wasāda) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Arabic: وُسَادَة (wusāda) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Arabic: نُمْرُقَة (numruqa) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Arabic: نِمْرِقَة (nimriqa) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Arabic: نَمْرَقَة (namraqa) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Arabic: خددية — soft material in cloth bag
  • Arabic: مخدة (maḵádda) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Arabic: مسند (másnad) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Aragonese: coxín — soft material in cloth bag
  • Armenian: բարձ (barj) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Asturian: coxín — soft material in cloth bag
  • Azerbaijani: yastıq — soft material in cloth bag
  • Azerbaijani: balış — soft material in cloth bag
  • Bashkir: мендәр (mendər) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Belarusian: паду́шка (padúška) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Bengali: কুশন (kuśon) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Bengali: উপাধান (upadhan) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Bengali: বালিশ (baliś) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Breton: torchenn — soft material in cloth bag
  • Bulgarian: възгла́вница (vǎzglávnica) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Burmese: ကူရှင် (kuhrang) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Burmese: ဖုံ (hpum) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Burmese: အခု (a.hku.) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Catalan: coixí — soft material in cloth bag
  • Chinese Cantonese: 墊子 /垫子 (zin3 zi2) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Chinese Cantonese: 箍臣 — soft material in cloth bag
  • Chinese Cantonese: 咕順 /咕顺 — soft material in cloth bag
  • Chinese Mandarin: 墊子 /垫子 (diànzi) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Chinese Mandarin: 軟墊 /软垫 (ruǎndiàn) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Chinese Mandarin: 靠墊 /靠垫 (kàodiàn) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Coptic: ϣϣⲟⲧ (ššot) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Crimean Tatar: minder — soft material in cloth bag
  • Czech: polštářek — soft material in cloth bag
  • Czech: poduška — soft material in cloth bag
  • Danish: pude — soft material in cloth bag
  • Danish: hynde — soft material in cloth bag
  • Dutch: kussen — soft material in cloth bag
  • Esperanto: kuseno — soft material in cloth bag
  • Estonian: sohvapadi — soft material in cloth bag
  • Faroese: koddi — soft material in cloth bag
  • Faroese: púta — soft material in cloth bag
  • Finnish: tyyny — soft material in cloth bag
  • French: coussin — soft material in cloth bag
  • Friulian: cussin — soft material in cloth bag
  • Galician: coxín — soft material in cloth bag
  • Galician: chumazo — soft material in cloth bag
  • Galician: troxo — soft material in cloth bag
  • Galician: mulido — soft material in cloth bag
  • Georgian: ბალიში (bališi) — soft material in cloth bag
  • German: Kissen — soft material in cloth bag
  • Greek: μαξιλάρι (maxilári) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Ancient Greek: τύλη (túlē) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Ancient Greek: κνέφαλλον (knéphallon) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Ancient Greek: στοιβή (stoibḗ) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Hausa: kushin — soft material in cloth bag
  • Hebrew: כָּרִית (karit) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Hebrew: כַּר (kar) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Hindi: तकिया (takiyā) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Hindi: बालिश (bāliś) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Hindi: मसनद (masnad) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Hungarian: párna — soft material in cloth bag
  • Hungarian: vánkos — soft material in cloth bag
  • Hungarian: díszpárna — soft material in cloth bag
  • Icelandic: púði — soft material in cloth bag
  • Ido: kuseno — soft material in cloth bag
  • Igbo: kushọn — soft material in cloth bag
  • Indonesian: bantal — soft material in cloth bag
  • Ingrian: aluspoduška — soft material in cloth bag
  • Interlingua: cossino — soft material in cloth bag
  • Interlingua: cossinetto — soft material in cloth bag
  • Irish: adhartán — soft material in cloth bag
  • Irish: cúisín — soft material in cloth bag
  • Italian: cuscino — soft material in cloth bag
  • Japanese: 座布団 (zabuton) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Japanese: クッション (kusshon) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Kannada: ಮೆತ್ತೆ (mette) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Kazakh: көпшік (köpşık) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Kazakh: жастық (jastyq) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Khmer: ខ្នើយ (khnaəy) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Khmer: ខ្នល់ខ្នើយ (khnɑl khnaəy) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Khmer: ខ្នើយកែប (khnaəy kaep) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Korean: 쿠션 (kusyeon) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Korean: 방석 (bangseok) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Kyrgyz: жаздык (jazdık) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Kyrgyz: балыш (balış) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Lao: ເບາະ (bǫ) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Lao: ຫມອນ (mǭn) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Latin: cervīcal — soft material in cloth bag
  • Latin: culcita — soft material in cloth bag
  • Latin: pulvīnus — soft material in cloth bag
  • Latin: cubital — soft material in cloth bag
  • Latvian: spilvens — soft material in cloth bag
  • Lithuanian: pagalvė — soft material in cloth bag
  • Luxembourgish: Këssen — soft material in cloth bag
  • Macedonian: пе́рниче (pérniče) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Malay: kusyen — soft material in cloth bag
  • Māori: kuihana — soft material in cloth bag
  • Middle English: quysshyn — soft material in cloth bag
  • Middle English: pilwe — soft material in cloth bag
  • Norman: couossi — soft material in cloth bag
  • Norwegian Bokmål: pute — soft material in cloth bag
  • Occitan: coissin — soft material in cloth bag
  • Old English: bolster — soft material in cloth bag
  • Iranian Persian: کوسَن (kusan) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Iranian Persian: نازْبالِش (nâzbâleš) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Iranian Persian: تَکْیِه (takye) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Iranian Persian: بالِش (bâleš) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Polish: poduszka — soft material in cloth bag
  • Portuguese: almofada — soft material in cloth bag
  • Portuguese: coxim — soft material in cloth bag
  • Romanian: pernă — soft material in cloth bag
  • Russian: поду́шка (podúška) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Scottish Gaelic: pillean — soft material in cloth bag
  • Serbo-Croatian: ја̀стук — soft material in cloth bag
  • Serbo-Croatian: jàstuk — soft material in cloth bag
  • Slovak: vankúš — soft material in cloth bag
  • Slovene: blazina — soft material in cloth bag
  • Somali: barkin — soft material in cloth bag
  • Spanish: cojín — soft material in cloth bag
  • Spanish: almohadón — soft material in cloth bag
  • Spanish: citara — soft material in cloth bag
  • Swedish: dyna — soft material in cloth bag
  • Swedish: kudde — soft material in cloth bag
  • Tajik: болишт (bolišt) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Tajik: такъя (tak'ya) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Tajik: болиш (boliš) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Tamil: தலையணை (talaiyaṇai) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Tamil: மெத்தை (mettai) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Tarifit: tsummet — soft material in cloth bag
  • Tarifit: tsunta — soft material in cloth bag
  • Tatar: ястык (yastıq) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Tatar: мендәр (mendär) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Telugu: దిండు (diṇḍu) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Thai: เบาะ (bɔ̀) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Tibetan: གདན་སྒོར (gdan sgor) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Tibetan: འབོལ་གདན ('bol gdan) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Turkish: yastık — soft material in cloth bag
  • Ottoman Turkish: یاصدق (yasdık) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Ottoman Turkish: بالش (baliş) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Turkmen: ýassyk — soft material in cloth bag
  • Ukrainian: поду́шка (podúška) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Unami: mëlukwehun — soft material in cloth bag
  • Urdu: تَکْیَہ (takya) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Urdu: تَکِیَہ (takiya) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Urdu: بالِش (bāliś) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Urdu: مَسْنَد (masnad) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Uyghur: ياستۇق (yastuq) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Uzbek: bolish — soft material in cloth bag
  • Uzbek: yostiq — soft material in cloth bag
  • Venetan: cusin — soft material in cloth bag
  • Vietnamese: đệm — soft material in cloth bag
  • Vietnamese: gối dựa — soft material in cloth bag
  • Vietnamese: gối xếp — soft material in cloth bag
  • Volapük: kusen — soft material in cloth bag
  • Welsh: clustog — soft material in cloth bag
  • Yiddish: קישן (kishn) — soft material in cloth bag
  • Bulgarian: бу́фер (búfer) — absorbent or protective item
  • Czech: polštář — absorbent or protective item
  • Czech: nárazník — absorbent or protective item
  • Danish: bande — absorbent or protective item
  • Dutch: kussen — absorbent or protective item
  • Finnish: pehmuste — absorbent or protective item
  • German: Puffer — absorbent or protective item
  • German: Polster — absorbent or protective item
  • Greek: στρώμα (stróma) — absorbent or protective item
  • Hungarian: -tompító — absorbent or protective item
  • Hungarian: -csillapító — absorbent or protective item
  • Hungarian: -védő — absorbent or protective item
  • Irish: stuáil — absorbent or protective item
  • Irish: pillín — absorbent or protective item
  • Japanese: クッション (kusshon) — absorbent or protective item
  • Central Kurdish: بالیف (balîf) — absorbent or protective item
  • Macedonian: по́длога (pódloga) — absorbent or protective item
  • Macedonian: ле́гло (léglo) — absorbent or protective item
  • Māori: aupuru — absorbent or protective item
  • Polish: poduszka — absorbent or protective item
  • Portuguese: amortecedor — absorbent or protective item
  • Portuguese: almofada — absorbent or protective item
  • Portuguese: coxim — absorbent or protective item
  • Romanian: amortizor — absorbent or protective item
  • Russian: амортиза́тор (amortizátor) — absorbent or protective item
  • Russian: поду́шка (podúška) — absorbent or protective item
  • Russian: прокла́дка (prokládka) — absorbent or protective item
  • Russian: бу́фер (búfer) — absorbent or protective item
  • Slovene: blazina — absorbent or protective item
  • Spanish: colchón — absorbent or protective item
  • Spanish: amortiguante — absorbent or protective item
  • Swedish: kudde — absorbent or protective item
  • Tamil: மெத்தை (mettai) — absorbent or protective item
  • Ukrainian: бу́фер (búfer) — absorbent or protective item
  • Armenian: բիլիարդի սեղանի եզր (biliardi seġani ezr) — in cue sports
  • Bulgarian: борд (bord) — in cue sports
  • Czech: mantinel — in cue sports
  • Danish: bande — in cue sports
  • Dutch: band — in cue sports
  • Finnish: valli — in cue sports
  • French: bande — in cue sports
  • German: Bande — in cue sports
  • Greek: σπόντα (spónta) — in cue sports
  • Hungarian: mandiner — in cue sports
  • Hungarian: oldalfal — in cue sports
  • Irish: cúisín — in cue sports
  • Italian: sponda — in cue sports
  • Japanese: クッション (kusshon) — in cue sports
  • Polish: banda — in cue sports
  • Portuguese: tabela — in cue sports
  • Russian: борт (bort) — in cue sports
  • Spanish: banda — in cue sports
  • Swedish: vall — in cue sports
  • Ukrainian: борт (bort) — in cue sports
  • Czech: vypoltářovat — provide cushion
  • Danish: polstre — provide cushion
  • Esperanto: amortizi — provide cushion
  • Finnish: pehmustaa — provide cushion
  • German: polstern — provide cushion
  • Polish: chronić — provide cushion
  • Polish: ochraniać — provide cushion
  • Polish: ochronić — provide cushion
  • Portuguese: forrar — provide cushion
  • Serbo-Croatian: обжити — provide cushion
  • Serbo-Croatian: убла́жити — provide cushion
  • Serbo-Croatian: obžiti — provide cushion
  • Serbo-Croatian: ublážiti — provide cushion
  • Slovene: oblaziniti — provide cushion
  • Spanish: amortiguar — provide cushion
  • Swedish: stoppa — provide cushion
  • Swedish: madrassera — provide cushion
  • Bulgarian: омекотя́вам (omekotjávam) — absorb impact
  • Czech: ztlumit — absorb impact
  • Czech: zmírnit — absorb impact
  • Danish: afbøde — absorb impact
  • Esperanto: dampi — absorb impact
  • Finnish: pehmentää — absorb impact
  • French: amortir — absorb impact
  • German: abdämpfen — absorb impact
  • German: abfedern — absorb impact
  • Italian: ammortizzare — absorb impact
  • Italian: attutire — absorb impact
  • Macedonian: убла́жува (ublážuva) — absorb impact
  • Polish: amortyzować — absorb impact
  • Polish: zamortyzować — absorb impact
  • Portuguese: amortecer — absorb impact
  • Romanian: absorbi — absorb impact
  • Russian: смягча́ть уда́р (smjaxčátʹ udár) — absorb impact
  • Serbo-Croatian: убла́жити — absorb impact
  • Serbo-Croatian: ublážiti — absorb impact
  • Spanish: amortiguar — absorb impact
  • Spanish: suavizar — absorb impact
  • Spanish: proteger — absorb impact
  • Swedish: dämpa — absorb impact
  • Swedish: mildra — absorb impact
  • Tamil: தணி (taṇi) — absorb impact