cushion
gb/kˈʊʃən/ us/kˈʊʃən/
A2
English
~ 9200
párna, ülőpárna, párnázás, alátét, tartalék, biztonsági tartalék, tompít, enyhít, mérsékel, fal, gumifal
NOUN
A2
1
Usage pattern:
a cushion on [a chair/sofa/the floor]
She put an extra cushion on the chair to make it more comfortable.
Tett még egy párnát a székre, hogy kényelmesebb legyen.
He sat on a floor cushion while working on his laptop.
Egy padlópárnán ült, miközben a laptopján dolgozott.
The bright yellow cushions add color to the grey sofa.
I grabbed a cushion and lay down in front of the TV.
The dog curled up on the cushion by the window.
Learner examples
I bought new cushions for my sofa.
Új párnákat vettem a kanapémra.
She sits on a soft cushion at her desk.
Az íróasztalánál puha párnán ül.
There is a big blue cushion on the floor.
He puts a cushion behind his back.
Please put the cushion on that chair.
Common mistake:
Learners often use "pillow" instead of "cushion" for seats and sofas. Use "pillow" mainly for sleeping or for the head in bed, and "cushion" for chairs, sofas, and the floor.
Meaning
soft pad for sitting or leaning
Collocations
seat cushion
|sofa cushion
|floor cushion
|decorative cushion
|cushion cover
Synonyms
pillow (More often used for sleeping or for the head, while a cushion is usually for sitting or decoration.)
|
pad (Can be less soft or less decorative; a more general term for a flat piece of material.)
Antonyms
hard surface (Lacks the softness and comfort that a cushion provides.)
Themes
home
|daily life
|furniture
|housing
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A soft, thick pad that you put on a chair, sofa, or the floor to make it more comfortable to sit or lie on.
A soft, padded object, usually fabric-covered, used to sit on or to support the body on a chair, sofa, or the floor.
NOUN
B1
2
Usage pattern:
a cushion of [material] under [something]
The helmet has a thick cushion inside to protect your head.
A sisak belsejében vastag párnázás van, hogy védje a fejedet.
There is a foam cushion under the carpet to make it softer to walk on.
A szőnyeg alatt habszivacs alátét van, hogy puhább legyen rajta járni.
The new running shoes include a gel cushion in the heel.
Put a small cushion between the boxes so they don't get damaged.
The baby seat has extra cushions at the sides for safety.
Learner examples
The shoes have a soft cushion in the heel.
A cipők sarokrészében puha párnázás van.
We put a cushion under the glass table.
Védőalátétet tettünk az üvegasztal alá.
The helmet has a cushion inside.
There is a foam cushion under the carpet.
This pad is a cushion to protect the floor.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think this sense only refers to decorative cushions. In technical or product descriptions, "cushion" often means an inner layer of padding that you cannot always see.
Meaning
padding that absorbs impact
Collocations
foam cushion
|air cushion
|rubber cushion
|heel cushion
|shock-absorbing cushion
Synonyms
padding (Very close in meaning; slightly more technical and less often used for decorative items.)
|
buffer (Often used more abstractly, but can also mean a physical thing that absorbs impact.)
Antonyms
rigid surface (Does not give way or absorb impact, the opposite of a cushioning layer.)
Themes
technology
|safety
|sports
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A soft layer or pad that takes in hits or pressure so that something is not damaged or does not hurt as much.
A layer of soft or elastic material used to absorb shock, protect something, or make a surface less hard.
NOUN
B2
3
tartalék
B1
Usage pattern:
a cushion of [money/time/points]
We keep a small financial cushion in case of emergencies.
Kisebb pénzügyi tartalékot tartunk fenn vészhelyzetekre.
The company has a solid cash cushion to survive a downturn.
A vállalatnak komoly készpénztartaléka van, hogy átvészeljen egy gazdasági visszaesést.
Leave yourself a cushion of ten minutes in case the train is late.
Our lead gave us a cushion of three goals before halftime.
She has no savings cushion and lives paycheck to paycheck.
Learner examples
I want a financial cushion before I quit my job.
Szeretnék anyagi tartalékot, mielőtt felmondok.
We need a small cushion of time for delays.
Szükségünk van egy kis időtartalékra a késések miatt.
He has a savings cushion for bad times.
The team has a cushion of two points.
Without a money cushion, they were very stressed.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say "money pillow" or "extra money" instead of "financial cushion". "Financial cushion" is the usual fixed phrase for extra saved money used as protection.
Meaning
extra amount for safety or comfort
Collocations
a financial cushion
|a cash cushion
|a savings cushion
|a cushion of time
|a cushion of several points
Synonyms
buffer (Very similar; often used for protection from change or problems, not just money.)
|
safety net (Suggests protection if something fails; often more emotional or social in tone.)
Antonyms
shortage (Means not having enough, the opposite of having an extra amount as protection.)
Themes
business
|finance
|planning
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Extra money, time, or something else that you keep so that you are safe if there is a problem.
An extra amount of money, time, or another resource that is kept so that problems are less serious if something goes wrong.
VERB
B2
4
tompít
B2
Usage pattern:
to cushion [a fall/blow/impact]
The snow helped cushion his fall from the tree.
A hó segített tompítani az esését, amikor leesett a fáról.
She put her jacket under his head to cushion it.
A dzsekijét a feje alá tette, hogy tompítsa az ütést.
Thick rubber mats cushion the impact when the weights are dropped.
The airbag is designed to cushion the blow in a crash.
Grass will cushion your landing better than concrete.
Learner examples
The sand cushions your fall at the playground.
A játszótéren a homok tompítja az esést.
She used a pillow to cushion his head.
Egy párnát használt, hogy védje a fejét és tompítsa az ütést.
The mat cushions the impact when you jump.
Snow cushions the blow when you slip.
The pads cushion your knees when you run.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "cushion" only as a noun and say things like "the sand is a cushion your fall" instead of "the sand cushions your fall". Remember that "cushion" can also be a verb meaning to soften an impact.
Meaning
soften or absorb a physical impact
Collocations
cushion the blow
|cushion the impact
|cushion the fall
|cushion the landing
|cushion his head
Synonyms
soften (General word; can be used for many things, not only physical impacts.)
|
absorb (Often used in technical or scientific contexts; focuses more on taking in the force.)
Antonyms
intensify (To make something stronger or more severe, the opposite of reducing impact.)
Themes
safety
|movement
|sports
|body
|health
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To make a hit or fall softer so that it does not hurt or damage so much.
To make a fall, hit, or other physical impact less hard or painful by absorbing some of the force.
VERB
B2
5
Usage pattern:
to cushion [someone/something] from [something]
The government introduced tax cuts to cushion families from rising energy costs.
A kormány adócsökkentéseket vezetett be, hogy enyhítse az emelkedő energiaköltségek családokra gyakorolt hatását.
To cushion the blow of the layoffs, the company offered generous severance packages.
Az elbocsátások okozta csapás enyhítésére a vállalat bőkezű végkielégítési csomagokat ajánlott fel.
Her savings helped cushion the impact of losing her job.
Parents tried to cushion the children from the worst of the news.
Diversifying your investments can cushion you against market swings.
Learner examples
They gave him extra money to cushion the loss of his job.
Plusz pénzt adtak neki, hogy enyhítsék az állása elvesztésének hatását.
The company tried to cushion workers from the bad news.
A vállalat igyekezett enyhíteni a rossz hír dolgozókra gyakorolt hatását.
Savings can cushion you when you are sick and cannot work.
Tax cuts may cushion people from higher prices.
Her friends tried to cushion the blow by staying with her.
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse "protect" or "help" and miss this more natural verb in formal or news-style English. Also, they sometimes say "cushion about" instead of the correct pattern "cushion from" or "cushion against" something.
Meaning
protect from bad effects or changes
Collocations
cushion the blow
|cushion the impact
|cushion the effects
|cushion the losses
|cushion consumers from price rises
Synonyms
mitigate (More formal; often used in legal, business, or technical contexts.)
|
soften (Common and neutral; focuses on making something feel less severe, especially news or criticism.)
Antonyms
exacerbate (Formal verb meaning to make a problem or bad situation worse.)
Themes
business
|emotions
|society
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To make bad news, problems, or changes less hard or less painful for someone.
To reduce the bad effect of something unpleasant, difficult, or harmful, especially in a gradual or indirect way.
NOUN
B2
TECHNICAL
6
Usage pattern:
the ball hits the cushion
The ball hit the cushion and rolled back toward the center of the table.
A golyó a falnak ütközött, majd visszagurult az asztal közepe felé.
He played a clever shot off the cushion to sink the red ball.
Ügyes falas lökéssel lökte be a piros golyót.
You need to aim a little higher so it comes off the far cushion.
The cushions on this table are very lively, so the balls bounce quickly.
Chalk your cue and try a double off the side cushion.
Learner examples
The ball hits the cushion and comes back.
A golyó a falnak ütközik, és visszajön.
He plays the ball off the cushion.
A falról játssza meg a golyót.
This table has very hard cushions.
The ball rolls along the cushion.
She learns how to use the cushions in pool.
Common mistake:
Learners may think "cushion" in this context is a normal pillow. In billiards and pool, it specifically means the padded edge where balls bounce.
Meaning
padded side of a billiard table
Collocations
hit the cushion
|off the cushion
|along the cushion
|double off the cushion
|rail cushion
Synonyms
rail (Common in American English for the side of a pool table; not always padded in meaning, but often used interchangeably.)
Antonyms
pocket (The hole where the ball falls, in contrast to the cushion, which makes the ball bounce back.)
Themes
sports
|games
Definition
In pool or billiards, the soft edge around the table that the balls hit and bounce from.
In billiards or pool, the padded strip along the inner sides of the table that the balls bounce off.
Grammar
Dictionary form
cushion
IPA
GB/kˈʊʃən/
US/kˈʊʃən/
Syllables & stress
cush - ion (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (cush)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: cushion
- Plural: cushions
Verb
- Base: cushion
- 3rd Person Singular: cushions
- Present Participle: cushioning
- Past: cushioned
Word family
Forms
cushions
noun
cushioning
verb
cushioned
verb
Expressions
cushion of air
1/kˈʊʃən əv ˈɛɹ/
fixed phrase
technical
thin layer of air giving support
A thin layer of air between two things that helps support them or stops them from touching directly.
Examples
- The hovercraft glides on a cushion of air above the water.
- Air hockey pucks float on a cushion of air from tiny holes in the table.
- The wheels ride on a cushion of air created by the fan system.
cushion of time
1/kˈʊʃən əv tˈaɪm/
fixed phrase
extra time as a safety margin
Some extra time that you plan so that you are still okay if there are small delays or problems.
Examples
- Always leave a cushion of time when you travel to the airport.
- We built in a cushion of time in case the project is delayed.
- He left no cushion of time and missed the meeting when the train was late.
cushion the blow
1/kˈʊʃən ðə blˈoʊ/
idiom
make bad news or events less painful
To do or say something that makes bad news or a bad event less painful or less shocking for someone.
Examples
- To cushion the blow of the price increase, they offered a discount to regular customers.
- She tried to cushion the blow by telling him very gently.
- The company cushioned the blow of the closure with good redundancy payments.
financial cushion
1/fɪnˈænʃəl kˈʊʃən/
fixed phrase
extra money saved for safety
Money that you save and do not spend, so you have something to use if there is an emergency or a problem.
Examples
- She wants a financial cushion before starting her own business.
- Without a financial cushion, many families are only one bill away from debt.
- A good financial cushion can give you more freedom at work.