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Glite Dictionary
🪑 No padding 💸 No safety net
cushionless

cushionless

9.1
Someone or a business with no savings and no insurance to protect them from loss
  • adjective
  • /ˈkʌʃənləs/
translation icon : desprotegido
  • The company entered the recession cushionless, with no savings to fall back on.

Examples

  • Without insurance, they were completely cushionless when disaster struck.

  • After losing his job, he found himself cushionless and worried about paying the bills.

  • He felt cushionless after losing his job unexpectedly.

  • The cushionless experience left her feeling vulnerable.

  • After losing his job, he felt completely cushionless, worrying about how to pay his bills.

  • The family was cushionless during the financial crisis, lacking any savings to rely on.

  • Without a backup plan, they were cushionless and anxious about potential setbacks.

Synonyms

defenseless
vscushionless
  • US
77 3.5

Without protection and easy to hurt

refers to lack of buffer or reserve not inability to fight back
unprotected
vscushionless
28 2.9

Not safe from harm

focuses on lacking any buffer or reserve against sudden shocks
unhedged
vscushionless
  • Specialized
7.5

Having no protection against money loss when prices change

is broader meaning no buffer or reserve against shocks or losses
unresistant
vscushionless
  • Specialized
6.8

Easily harmed by disease or chemicals

means lacking a protective buffer or reserve against shocks

Antonyms

protected
1 2.0

Kept safe from harm or danger

cushioned
3.4

With soft padding that makes it more comfortable and absorbs shocks

How Protected

protected
1 2.0
secure
318 3.2
vulnerable
581 4.0
cushionless
9.1
exposed
1 3.4

Surface Forms

cushionless positive

Morphology

cushionless = cushion (semi-transparent) = cushion + less

The metaphorical sense 'without a buffer/reserve' is derived from the physical meaning but requires a mental metaphor (cushion → buffer), which may not be immediately obvious to all learners.

Etymology

Cushionless also comes from cushion ('soft pad') and -less ('without'). People use it to show you have no extra money or protection to soften a shock, so being 'cushionless' means you are more vulnerable to problems.