Idiom idiom
padded cell
Meaning
A room in a mental hospital lined with padding on the walls, and often a cushioned floor, in order to prevent occupants from injuring themselves.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“The patient was moved to a padded cell for his own safety.”
“The doctors decided to place the agitated patient in a padded cell to prevent him from hurting himself during the night.”
“After the patient began striking the walls in a fit of distress, the staff had no choice but to transfer him to a padded cell for his protection.”
Anchors to
Last updated August 10, 2026