Cushioning is the soft stuff that takes the hit when someone or something bangs into a surface, so the landing is less hard. Trainers have cushioning in the sole. A box has cushioning around a glass vase. A playground floor has cushioning so a fall hurts less. People also use it for the effect: good cushioning means it soaks up the shock well. Though actually, a cushion is usually one pad you sit on; cushioning is more often the layer, the material, or that soft-taking-the-hit quality — in a shoe, a helmet, a package.