Phrase guide

pencil pusher

noun · 2 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

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

One who does routine office work; someone involved mainly in paperwork.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: derogatory, informal, often

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: office worker, bureaucrat, desk jockey, paper-pusher, pen-pusher

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a clerk who does boring paperwork

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: penpusher

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: clerk

History

Etymology

US origin, 1881.

Across languages

Translations

28 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: писар (pisar) — one who does office work
  • Catalan: pixatinters — one who does office work
  • Chinese Mandarin: 管帳員 /管帐员 (guǎnzhàngyuán) — one who does office work
  • Czech: kancelářská krysa — one who does office work
  • Danish: ni-til-femmer — one who does office work
  • Danish: papirnusser — one who does office work
  • Estonian: paberimäärija — one who does office work
  • Finnish: kynänpyörittäjä — one who does office work
  • Finnish: konttorirotta — one who does office work
  • French: gratte-papier — one who does office work
  • German: Bleistiftstemmer — one who does office work
  • German: Sesselfurzer — one who does office work
  • German: Bürohengst — one who does office work
  • Italian: scribbacchino — one who does office work
  • Japanese: サラリーマン — one who does office work
  • Norwegian: kontorrotte — one who does office work
  • Polish: gryzipiórek — one who does office work
  • Polish: biurokrata — one who does office work
  • Polish: zarękawek — one who does office work
  • Polish: urzędas — one who does office work
  • Romanian: conțopist — one who does office work
  • Romanian: scriptolog — one who does office work
  • Slovak: kancelárska krysa — one who does office work
  • Spanish: chupatintas — one who does office work
  • Spanish: cagatintas — one who does office work
  • Spanish: tinterillo — one who does office work
  • Spanish: plumífero — one who does office work
  • Swedish: kontorsråtta — one who does office work