Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

pencil pusher

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.89 in modern English

Syllables
pen-cil -push-er
IPA
21
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
4
Syllables
10
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

One who does routine office work; someone involved mainly in paperwork.

Derogatory; Informal

Example Sentences

Etymology

US origin, 1881.

Usage

Inflected Forms

pencil pushers (plural) pencil-pusher (alternative)

Phrases

desk job pixel pusher

Frequently Paired Words

desk job pixel pusher

Synonyms

office worker bureaucrat desk jockey paper-pusher pen-pusher penpusher

Questions

What does pencil pusher mean?
One who does routine office work; someone involved mainly in paperwork.
Where does pencil pusher come from?
US origin, 1881.

How to pronounce pencil pusher

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “pencil pusher”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “pencil pusher”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “pencil pusher” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.