Meaning & use
a pushover
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Meanings
nounsingularinformal
Someone who is easy to persuade or take advantage of because they rarely say no.
Grammar: Used in the fixed pattern 'be a pushover'; it is countable in form but almost always appears with 'a'.
Patterns
- be a pushover
- be a pushover for someone
- be a pushover when it comes to something
My little brother is a pushover — he lends me his games whenever I ask.
Don't be a pushover at work; speak up when the tasks are unfair.
She's a pushover for a sad story, so she gives money to every charity on the street.
nounsingularinformal
Something that is very easy to do or to achieve.
Grammar: Also used after 'be'; the subject is the easy task, not a person.
Patterns
- be a pushover
- something is a pushover
The first test was a pushover, but the second one was much harder.
For someone who plays chess every day, this puzzle should be a pushover.
Common combinations
- be a pushover
- He's a pushover when his children ask for sweets.
- a complete pushover
- My boss is a complete pushover about holidays.
- a bit of a pushover
- She's a bit of a pushover, so people borrow her things and forget to return them.
- a pushover for something
- I'm a pushover for chocolate cake.
Synonyms and how they differ
- soft touch
- Very similar in meaning, but 'soft touch' is more often used about money and favors.
- weakling
- This describes a physically weak person, not someone who is easily persuaded, so it does not fit most contexts.
Opposites
Commonly confused: a pushover or pushover?
a pushover vs pushover
'Pushover' is the same word without 'a'; the phrase 'a pushover' is simply the noun with its article.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'a pushover' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The phrase is 'be a pushover', meaning someone who is easily persuaded. Option B uses the wrong preposition, option C is nonsense, and option D is missing the article 'a'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a pushover”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.