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Meaning & use

pillow

noun, verb·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈpɪləʊ/
US/ˈpɪloʊ/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    A soft cushion that supports your head when you sleep or rest.

    Grammar: Countable: one pillow, two pillows.

    Patterns

    • sleep on a pillow
    • put your head on a pillow

    I need a softer pillow; this one is too firm.

    She fluffed the pillows before going to bed.

  2. verbtransitiveliterary

    To rest your head on something soft like a pillow.

    Grammar: Often used as 'pillow your head on something'.

    Patterns

    • pillow your head on something

    He pillowed his head on his arms and fell asleep.

    She pillowed her head on a folded jacket.

Word forms

pluralpillows
third person singularpillows
past tensepillowed
past participlepillowed
-ing formpillowing

Common combinations

pillow case
I changed the pillow cases today.
feather pillow
She prefers a feather pillow to a foam one.
pillow fight
The kids had a pillow fight before bed.
under the pillow
He hid the money under his pillow.
pillow talk
Their pillow talk revealed their true feelings.

Synonyms and how they differ

cushion
A cushion is a soft pad used for sitting or decoration, while a pillow is specifically for your head in bed.
headrest
A headrest is a support for the head, often on chairs or cars, not a soft bed pillow.

Word family

pillowy adjective
Soft and cushiony, like a pillow.
pillowcase noun
A removable fabric cover for a pillow.

Commonly confused: pillow or cushion?

pillow vs cushion

Cushion is a general soft pad for chairs or sofas; pillow is mainly for sleeping.

Practice

I always sleep with two ______ under my head.

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