What does cushy mean?
Cushy is an informal adjective describing something — most often a job, post, or assignment — that is notably comfortable, easy, and undemanding, frequently with an implication of security or generous reward for little effort. A person might be said to have 'landed a cushy desk job' or be sitting on 'a cushy number', a phrase especially common in British English. The word typically carries a mildly envious or disapproving edge: calling someone's situation cushy suggests they have it easier than they deserve, which makes the word a staple of commentary on privilege, nepotism, and soft billets. It can also be applied more broadly to any pleasant, low-stress circumstance, such as a cushy posting abroad or a cushy retirement. Derived from Hindi during the era of British rule in India, cushy remains a vivid, colloquial shorthand for effortless comfort.
adjectiveDenoting a job, position, or situation that is undemanding, comfortable, and secure, often with good pay or benefits for little effort. Frequently used to suggest that such ease is undeserved or enviable.
- (Of a job, post, or assignment) undemanding and comfortable, especially one perceived as requiring little effort while offering security or good rewards.
- (Of a situation or place more generally) comfortable, easy, or free from hardship.
"After years of gruelling fieldwork, he finally landed a cushy desk job at headquarters."
"She was accused of giving her son a cushy job at the family firm."
"Compared with his previous postings, the new assignment was positively cushy."
This word for an easy, comfortable life travelled all the way from Hindi — it's one of the many English words picked up by British soldiers stationed in India.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cushy
Cushy entered English in the late nineteenth century among British military personnel serving in colonial India, where numerous Hindi and Urdu words were absorbed into soldiers' slang. It derives from the Hindi word 'khush' (ख़ुश), meaning 'pleasant', 'happy', or 'agreeable', which itself traces back through Persian 'xuš' ('sweet', 'pleasant'). Its earliest uses referred specifically to soft, undemanding army postings before broadening to describe any comfortable, easy situation.
How cushy is actually used
Informal in register; common in British English, where the phrase 'a cushy number' is a well-established idiom. The word often carries a slightly pejorative or resentful connotation, implying that someone's comfortable situation is unearned.
Easily confused with cushy
"Cusp" means a point of transition between two states (as in "on the cusp of adulthood"), while "cushy" describes something comfortable and undemanding.