What does cush mean?
In everyday informal English, "cush" describes something comfortable, easy, or pleasantly undemanding — most often a job, posting, or assignment that involves little effort or hardship. Saying someone has a "cush job" implies they have landed an enviable arrangement, usually with a hint of envy or good-humored resentment from those working harder. The word is chiefly heard in British and Australian colloquial speech and is closely related to the more widely known "cushy," which carries the same meaning. Both are thought to derive ultimately from the Hindi word "khush," meaning happy or pleasant, absorbed into English during the colonial era and popularized through military slang. Separately, when capitalized, "Cush" names the ancient kingdom in what is now Sudan that appears frequently in the Hebrew Bible. In casual use, though, "cush" remains a compact, expressive way to call something an easy ride.
adjectiveComfortable, pleasant, or undemanding; describing work or circumstances that are notably easy or agreeable.
- (of a job, posting, or situation) comfortable, easy, or requiring little effort
- As a capitalized proper noun, the ancient kingdom of Cush in northeastern Africa mentioned in the Hebrew Bible
"He landed a cush job answering phones at the front desk."
"The night-shift security post was widely considered the cush job in the building."
"After years of hard tours, he was finally given a cush desk assignment."
This two-syllable-free little word traveled from Hindi to British barracks slang — soldiers have been calling their postings "cush" for over a century.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cush
"Cush" entered English as military and colonial-era slang, most likely borrowed from the Hindi word "khush" (ख़ुश), meaning happy, pleasant, or agreeable, which British soldiers encountered in India during the nineteenth century. The fuller form "cushy" became established first, particularly in army slang for comfortable postings, with the clipped form "cush" following in British and Australian colloquial use. When capitalized, the name "Cush" has entirely separate origins, referring to the ancient Nubian kingdom attested in the Hebrew Bible.
Related word forms
How cush is actually used
Informal and colloquial; common in British and Australian speech, especially about military postings or workplace assignments. It carries a slightly envious or wry connotation rather than being neutral praise.
Easily confused with cush
"Cushy" is the more widespread form of the same idea, while "cush" is a shorter, chiefly British and Australian colloquial variant.
Capitalized, "Cush" refers to the ancient biblical kingdom of Nubia (modern Sudan) and its people, unrelated to the slang sense.