Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

cushy number

/ˌkʊʃi ˈnʌmbɚ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.66 in modern English

Syllables: cu-shy num-ber
IPA: /ˌkʊʃi ˈnʌmbɚ/

23

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

3

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A job or task that is easy to do; a position that requires little work or is undemanding; a sinecure.

British usage; Informal

Example Sentences

"At this rate Wednesdays [PMQs] could become a cushy number for the Labour leader."
"And they knew who the winners were: those refugees on the other side of the city; the next-door neighbour who’d got a cushy number on benefits."
"The band’s ascent is exciting and bewildering – until it isn’t. When Nirvana ends, he turns down a cushy number playing drums for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers to record Foo Fighters’ terrific debut album in a makeshift home studio, playing every instrument himself."
"Few professions’ pay have aroused such incredulous ire as train drivers: earning an average of nearly £70,000 a year, going on strike to demand more, and they don’t even have to steer. But if it really is such a cushy number, why doesn’t Britain have enough drivers – and what does it take to join their ranks?"

Etymology

From cushy (“making few demands, comfortable, easy”) + number (“activity, assignment, job”).

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˌkʊʃi ˈnʌmbɚ/
British English: /ˌkʊʃi ˈnʌmbə/

Usage

British usage
Informal

Inflected Forms

cushy numbers (plural)

Synonyms

soft snap soft thing

Rhymes With

bib number

Questions

How do you pronounce cushy number?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌkʊʃi ˈnʌmbɚ/.
What does cushy number mean?: A job or task that is easy to do; a position that requires little work or is undemanding; a sinecure.
Where does cushy number come from?: From cushy (“making few demands, comfortable, easy”) + number (“activity, assignment, job”).

How to pronounce cushy number

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “cushy number”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌkʊʃi ˈnʌmbɚ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “cushy number”.
Repeat and practice — Say “cushy number” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.