recoup
Americanverb (used with object)
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to get back the equivalent of.
to recoup one's losses by a lucky investment.
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to regain or recover.
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to reimburse or indemnify; pay back.
to recoup a person for expenses.
- Synonyms:
- remunerate, recompense
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Law. to withhold (a portion of something due), having some rightful claim to do so.
verb (used without object)
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to get back an equivalent, as of something lost.
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Law. (of a defendant in a lawsuit) to plead that one is owed, in the same matter, an amount by the plaintiff which applies against the payment of one’s own debt to the plaintiff.
noun
verb
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to regain or make good (a financial or other loss)
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(tr) to reimburse or compensate (someone), as for a loss
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law to keep back (something due), having rightful claim to do so; withhold; deduct
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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recoupsimple
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recoupssimple
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have recoupedperfect
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has recoupedperfect
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am recoupingprogressive
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are recoupingprogressive
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is recoupingprogressive
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have been recoupingperfect progressive
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has been recoupingperfect progressive
Past
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recoupedsimple
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had recoupedperfect
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was recoupingprogressive
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were recoupingprogressive
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had been recoupingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of recoup
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Middle French recouper “to cut back, cut again,” equivalent to re- re- ( def. ) + couper “to cut”; see coup 1 ( def. )
Explanation
To recoup is a kind of recovery: If you lost some money but then made that amount back, you recouped your loss. When you recuperate, you get better after being sick. And when you recoup something, you get better or bounce back after a loss. Businesses that lose money try to recoup it by throwing a sale or cutting their budget. If a runner falls behind in a race but then speeds up to the front of the pack, he's recouped his lead. In some cases this word also means "to reimburse."
Vocabulary lists containing recoup
The Joy Luck Club
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The Distance Between Us
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The Odyssey
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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.
See Examples For:
As governments and companies spend hundreds of billions of dollars on developing AI capabilities, some analysts have questioned whether the technology can become profitable enough to recoup such huge investments.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Smith said he hoped to raise his income to about $10,000 a month to recoup his $430,000 investment over the next couple of years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
Szabo acknowledged that under that scenario, the city would be far less likely to recoup all of its security costs if the federal government failed to provide full reimbursement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2026
In the comments of these loss posts, redditors would often joke about working at Wendy’s to recoup losses, which sometimes reach five- or six-figure sums.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
No, I had to cancel the dance, recoup what I could, and eat the rest.
From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman
Japan and the U.S. will split the power sales until Japan recoups its $33 billion, after which the American government will get 90% of the revenue.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
But the economy typically recoups most of that lost activity after a shutdown ends, as it would after disruption caused by a natural disaster.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2025
Usually, she said, the agent pays that fee and recoups it once you sell.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 24, 2023
Soto said as he stepped through his mud-streaked living room to his patio, adding that he plans to rebuild, no matter what he recoups from insurance policies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2022
Four prosperous years have since added to their numbers, and the rent they pay more than recoups the Treasury for the interest on its outlay in the purchase and settlement.
From The Long White Cloud by Reeves, William Pember
It is a noble mission; movie theaters need all the help they can get and heading into its second weekend, “The Odyssey” has already more than recouped its $250 million production budget.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Disney's Pixar films have historically recouped their budgets - often comfortably - with many titles bringing in three times as much as they cost to make and promote.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
However it isn't clear how much could be recouped using this method.
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
Those losses were more than recouped by the end of 1976.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
The traffic, especially the conveyance of ivory and other merchandise, would soon have recouped the Government for their original outlay.
From General Gordon A Christian Hero by Churchill, Seton
Shares in easyJet have gained over 40% since Castlelake made public its interest in a possible takeover, recouping its losses since the war in the Middle East began and cast a pall on airline stocks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
But that’s also what gives the movie its charm, especially considering it’s a big-budget studio production that never had a shot at recouping the studio’s investment, even if it were successful.
From Salon ● Jun. 10, 2026
The shares were up nearly 14% at $109 by midafternoon, more than recouping losses from the previous session amid volatile trading.
From Barron's ● May 5, 2026
Chelsea have already spent about £1.5bn on signings under the current ownership and, despite recouping approximately £750m in sales, they remain under financial scrutiny from Uefa, having faced fines for breaching their regulations.
From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2026
The trampled plants of Indian corn are dreaming of recouping their harvest from the neighbouring wheat fields.
From Creative Unity by Tagore, Rabindranath
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
