coup

¹ American  

[koo] / ku /

noun

plural

coups

1. a highly successful, unexpected stroke, act, or move; a clever action or accomplishment.

2. (among the Plains Indians of North America) a brave or reckless deed performed in battle by a single warrior, as touching or striking an enemy warrior without sustaining injury oneself.

3. coup d'état.

---

idioms

1. count coup, (among Plains Indians of North America)

   1. to perform a coup.

   2. to recount or relate the coups one has performed.

coup ² American  

[kohp, koop] / koʊp, kup /

verb (used with or without object)

Scot.

1. to overturn; upset.

---

coup ¹ British  

/ kuː /

noun

1. a brilliant and successful stroke or action

2. short for coup d'état

---

coup ² British  

/ kaʊp /

verb

1. to turn or fall over

---

noun

1. a rubbish tip

coup ³ British  

/ kaʊp /

verb

1. to barter; traffic; deal

---

coup Cultural  

1. In politics, an abbreviation for coup d'état.

---

Usage

Why is coup trending? On January 6, 2021, interest in the word coup spiked—corresponding with a 962% increase in search interest on Dictionary.com—after a mob of supporters of Donald Trump stormed the U. S. Capitol building on the day Congress was set to certify the electoral vote count to confirm Joe Biden’s presidential election victory. Some journalists, political analysts, and politicians used the word coup to describe the events that occurred at the nation’s capitol. The word coup, in this context, is short for coup d’état, which literally means “stroke of state” in French. Due to its French origin, the final p is not pronounced, making the word sound identical to the word coo.https://twitter.com/SenWarren/status/1346947575975272448https://twitter.com/MaryLTrump/status/1346963110041505794https://twitter.com/RepPressley/status/1346937329928302593

Etymology

Origin of coup¹

First recorded in 1640–50; from French: literally, “a blow, stroke,” Old French colp, from Late Latin colpus, from Latin colaphus, from Greek kólaphos

Origin of coup²

First recorded in 1350–1400; likely originally a variant of cope

Explanation

A coup is a pretty major achievement, whether it involves taking over a government by force, or landing a major business contract. When the word coup is used on the nightly news, it's usually describing a military government takeover. In the business section of the daily newspaper, coup might refer to a big corporation landing an important contract or deal. However you use the word coup, don't say the "p" at the end. It's not pronounced like chicken coop. It sounds more like a dove's coo.

Example Sentences

Britain “effectively reduced Iran to the status of a British protectorate,” according to Stephen Kinzer in All the Shah’s Men External link: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

Coup attempts are risky and timing is everything, said Brian Fonseca, an expert on Venezuela’s military at Florida International University.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 19, 2025

In My First Coup d'Etat, Mahama Jr describes himself as "an observant child with an active imagination and an unbounded curiosity".

From BBC • Nov. 19, 2024

Decolonization gets the ultimate needle-drop treatment in the documentary “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat” from Belgian filmmaker Johan Grimonprez.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 15, 2024

“Was there ever a Coup de Theatre,” Adams complained, “that had so great an effect as Jefferson’s Penmanship of the Declaration of Independence.”

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

• action
• overthrow
• plot
• revolution