Jump To:

• 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 ).

---

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.

---

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).

---

cope ⁴ American  

[kohp] / koʊp /

verb (used with object)

British.

coped, coping

1. to barter; trade; exchange.

---

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

---

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

---

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)

---

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

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• copelessness
  noun
• copeless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• copes
  plural

---

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”

---

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

The world often feels like it’s turned up to 11 and the behaviors common among autistic people help us cope.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

An ape capable of eating a wider range of foods would have been better equipped to cope with those fluctuations.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026

More structural changes are needed to help residents cope with extreme heat, he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

On the positive side of the ledger, analysts say the central bank has introduced a raft of innovations under Lagarde's leadership that could help it cope with a more uncertain world.

From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026

They simply could not cope with tropical seas.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

Andrea Pelaez Marzo, a sports journalist for Spanish radio station Cadena COPE, is following the team around New Zealand.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2023

“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

But if he gets a chance, it will be instructive for United's coaches to see how he copes with senior opponents.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

Prebendaries of Westminster, in surplices and rich copes.

From Coronation Anecdotes by Giles Gossip

He said he was in awe of how Lindsey had coped with such quiet dignity.

From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026

Rystad Energy said the oil market has coped better than initially expected because of inventories, alternative export routes and shifts in Chinese buying.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 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

Some coped with it better than he, some worse.

From "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Houston

This year's Bonfire Night operation will see police coping with two further challenges, both in Scotland's biggest city.

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026

The data add evidence of the challenges that consumers are facing coping with rising costs.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026

But ARM borrowers tend to have higher net worths and likely won’t have trouble coping with the payment increase, according to Andy Walden, head of mortgage and housing market research at Intercontinental Exchange.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

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

From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026

Either I’m finally going senile, or else it’s my mind’s way of coping with being entirely unchallenged in the present.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• confront
• endure
• get by
• grapple
• handle
• suffer
• survive
• wrestle

---