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Meaning & use

paper pusher

noun·Everydayinformaldisapproving

Last updated

UK/ˈpeɪpə ˌpʊʃə/
US/ˈpeɪpɚ ˌpʊʃɚ/
Usage warning: this word is disapproving. It shows a negative opinion, so take care with who and what you use it about.

Meaning

  1. nouncountableinformaldisapproving

    An office worker whose job seems to be routine paperwork and form filling, with little real creative or practical work.

    Grammar: Countable: a paper pusher, many paper pushers.

    Patterns

    • a paper pusher in something
    • nothing but a paper pusher

    He complained that he was just a paper pusher in a huge department.

    The mayor promised to cut the number of paper pushers at city hall.

    My brother works in the field, and he calls me a paper pusher.

Word forms

pluralpaper pushers

Common combinations

a government paper pusher
The report blamed delays on government paper pushers.
a mere paper pusher
She refused to be a mere paper pusher for the rest of her career.
office paper pusher
An office paper pusher can feel unimportant, even when the work matters.
just a paper pusher
I'm just a paper pusher, so I can't approve it myself.

Synonyms and how they differ

pen pusher
It is the British equivalent and means almost the same thing, with a similar sneering tone.
bureaucrat
It is more formal and focuses on official systems, while paper pusher stresses boring routine work.
clerk
A clerk has a neutral job title, whereas paper pusher is an informal and often negative description.
desk jockey
It is more humorous and focuses on sitting at a desk rather than the paperwork.

Word family

paperwork noun
written administrative tasks
paper-pushing adjective
describing routine office work
push paper verb
do routine paperwork

Commonly confused: paper pusher or pencil pusher?

paper pusher vs pencil pusher

It is a close American variant meaning the same, whereas pen pusher is the British form.

Practice

The factory worker joked that the people in the head office were just ____ who had never touched a machine.

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