cupped

American

[kuhpt] / kʌpt /

adjective

hollowed out like a cup; cup-shaped.

cupped British

/ kʌpt /

adjective

hollowed like a cup; concave

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

uncupped

adjective

Etymology

Origin of cupped

First recorded in 1790–1800; cup + -ed ³

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It doesn't want to leave the safety of his cupped hands.

From BBC • Dec. 18, 2025

Van de Ven cheekily cupped his ear to the crowd before team-mates made a point of embracing him to show their support after Saturday's spat.

From Barron's • Nov. 4, 2025

Chow cupped a hand around her mouth and shouted, “We love you!”

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 8, 2025

I cupped a handful to my mouth and drank them both.

From Salon • May 11, 2024

Akira seemed to be weighing her words, then carefully gathered up the pieces of the geode and cupped them in his hands.

From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023