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• cope
  cope

  verb (used without object)

  to struggle or deal, especially on fairly even terms or with some degree of success (usually followed bywith ).
• COPE
  COPE

  acronym

  Congress of the People: a political party founded in 2008 by dissident members of the ANC

cope

¹ American  

[kohp] / koʊp /

verb (used without object)

coped, coping

1. to struggle or deal, especially on fairly even terms or with some degree of success (usually followed bywith ).

   The new heating and cooling system can cope with extremes of temperature much better than the old one.

   Synonyms:

   persevere, strive, wrestle

2. to face and deal with responsibilities, problems, or difficulties, especially successfully or in a calm or adequate manner.

   After his breakdown he couldn't cope any longer.

3. Archaic. to come into contact; meet (usually followed bywith ).

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verb (used with object)

coped, coping

1. British Informal. to cope with.

2. Obsolete. to come into contact with; encounter.

cope ² American  

[kohp] / koʊp /

noun

• copes
  plural

1. a long mantle, especially of silk, worn by ecclesiastics over the alb or surplice in processions and on other occasions.

2. any cloaklike or canopylike covering.

3. the sky.

4. a coping on a wall.

5. Metallurgy. the upper half of a flask.

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verb (used with object)

coped, coping

1. to furnish with or as if with a cope or coping.

cope ³ American  

[kohp] / koʊp /

verb (used with object)

coped, coping

1. Building Trades.

   1. to join (two molded wooden members) by undercutting the end of one of them to the profile of the other so that the joint produced resembles a miter joint (usually followed by in ortogether ).

   2. to form (a joint between such members) in this way.

   3. to undercut the end of (a molded wooden member) in order to form a coped joint.

   4. to cut away (a flange of a metal member) so that it may be joined to another member at an angle.

2. Falconry. to clip or dull (the beak or talons of a hawk).

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cope ⁴ American  

[kohp] / koʊp /

verb (used with object)

British.

coped, coping

1. to barter; trade; exchange.

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cope ¹ British  

/ kəʊp /

verb

1. to contend (against)

2. (intr) to deal successfully with or handle a situation; manage

   she coped well with the problem

3. archaic (tr)

   1. to deal with

   2. to meet in battle

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cope ² British  

/ kəʊp /

noun

1. a large ceremonial cloak worn at solemn liturgical functions by priests of certain Christian sects

2. any covering shaped like a cope

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verb

1. (tr) to dress (someone) in a cope

cope ³ British  

/ kəʊp /

verb

1. to provide (a wall) with a coping

2. to join (two moulded timber members)

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noun

1. another name for coping

COPE ⁴ British  

/ kəʊp /

acronym

1. Congress of the People: a political party founded in 2008 by dissident members of the ANC

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• copelessness
  noun
• copeless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• copes
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of cope¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English coupen, from Anglo-French, Old French couper “to strike,” derivative of coup “a blow”; see origin at coup ¹

Origin of cope²

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Medieval Latin cāpa, variant of cappa “hooded cloak”; see cap ¹

Origin of cope³

First recorded in 1565–75; from French couper “to cut”; see cope ¹

Origin of cope⁴

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English copen, from Low German; compare Middle Dutch côpen “to buy”

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Explanation

If you are able to cope with something, you are able to deal with it. If you can cope with waiting in long lines, you'll get the best seats. If you can cope with the stress, you will be excellent at defusing bombs. From the Old French couper, cope means “come to blows with." Coping can imply struggle, but it’s usually met with success or at the very least, not failure. Another word to describe the balancing act of a mother who takes care of three children while also working part-time and pursuing a graduate degree is coping. “Understanding does not cure evil, but it is a definite help, inasmuch as one can cope with a comprehensible darkness,” warns Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cope COPE copes coped coping

Victimized museums are often compelled to cope by closing indefinitely or reopening with fewer treasures on view.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

As a result it has had to fund record amounts of overtime payments and take neighbourhood officers away from community policing duties to cope with the demand.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

What comes after “wine moms”: When Susannah Bradley was raising her young children, wine was many mom’s vice of choice to help them cope with the stresses of parenting.

From Slate ● Oct. 14, 2026

Their findings revealed an important connection between healthy routines and the ability to cope with stress.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026

Also, there’d been something purposeful about the way he’d got out that suggested even if he was feeling ill, he’d prefer to cope with it on his own.

From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro

In an interview with Spanish radio station COPE, Capdevila said he believes he was denied entry to the United States because of a match he played in Iran in 2016.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

“He was a collaborator of mine and helped me a lot,” Francis told COPE.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 3, 2021

The interview was with the Spanish radio network COPE, and was recorded last week at the pope’s residence in Vatican City.

From New York Times ● Sep. 1, 2021

"Whenever a pope is ill there is always a breeze or a hurricane about a conclave," he told COPE.

From Reuters ● Sep. 1, 2021

COPE, E. D. A critical review of the characters and variations of the snakes of N. America.

From United States Government Publications, v. 8 Jan-Jun 1892 A Monthly Catalog by Compiled

Mosher copes by working a relentless schedule and filling whatever time remains with projects around the house, “anything to stay busy.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

I wanted to see how she copes with the unmasking of perhaps a version of the gay experience that she’s gathered over time.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026

He too copes with blackouts, water shortages, a lack of farming supplies and ever-rising prices.

From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026

Since his mom was diagnosed with cancer at 83, Regis has pivoted to acting as what he calls a “capital C caregiver,” as she copes with treatment.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026

On the anniversary of St. Erkenwald the whole clergy of the diocese attended in procession in their copes.

From Old and New London Volume I by Walter Thornbury

Asked how Badenoch coped with threats to her safety, she replied: "it's really tough, but you just have to get on with it".

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

U.S. airlines and their global peers coped by tweaking capacity, generally cutting down on less popular and profitable flights, and charging more for checked bags and other fees.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026

"I didn't grow up with AC," said the Frenchman from the Mediterranean city of Nice, who said his family coped using fans.

From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026

The athleisure company has coped with negative commentary and disappointing product launches.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026

Some coped with it better than he, some worse.

From "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Houston

"The task ahead is to move from coping to rebuilding, restoring fiscal space and supply-side resilience."

From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026

The star noted that she had been trying her best to not break down in public, instead coping with her emotions behind closed doors.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026

Scholars like Dieter Declercq, author of “Satire, Comedy and Mental Health,” have connected stand-up to cognitive coping mechanisms.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

How is your company coping with the need to relentlessly patch and update software as AI makes it easier to find vulnerabilities?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

On the personal side, he’d been coping with difficult news: His mother, Ann, had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and had moved from Jakarta back to Honolulu for treatment.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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Related Words

• confront
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