coup

¹ American  

[koo] / ku /

noun

• coups
  plural

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.

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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.

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coup ¹ British  

/ kuː /

noun

1. a brilliant and successful stroke or action

2. short for coup d'état

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coup ² British  

/ kaʊp /

verb

1. to turn or fall over

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noun

1. a rubbish tip

coup ³ British  

/ kaʊp /

verb

1. to barter; traffic; deal

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coup Cultural  

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

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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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• coups
  plural

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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

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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

See Examples For:

coup coups

On Monday, former President Barack Obama announced he would travel to Detroit to stump for El-Sayed, a hard-won coup for the candidate.

From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026

"For it to be on show now in this beautiful way, as part of Grizedale Observatory, what a coup for Cumbria."

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026

When an agentic model in an evaluation sandbox connects to an unauthorized server or executes an exploit, it hasn’t staged a coup.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

Brook took a sharp catch at mid-wicket to remove Pathum Nissanka for 36, Rashid was alert enough to run out Charith Asalanka and Dawson's direct hit was the coup de grace.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

Soon, his own forces deserted him and he was ousted in a coup in early March.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Guinea-Bissau, a Portuguese-speaking country wedged between Senegal and Guinea, has experienced five coups and numerous attempted putsches since independence from Portugal in 1974.

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026

"When our presence was no longer wanted after the coups, we left," he explained.

From BBC ● May 12, 2026

All three countries are currently led by military governments following a series of coups.

From BBC ● Apr. 25, 2026

The law excludes those accused of involvement in alleged coups and assassination attempts.

From Barron's ● Apr. 8, 2026

If you wore special glasses you could see them spinning through the sky among the bats and homing birds—blondes, wars, famines, football, food shows, coups d’ etat, hairstyles stiff with hair spray.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy

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Related Words

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