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• 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 ).

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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.

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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).

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cope ⁴ American  

[kohp] / koʊp /

verb (used with object)

British.

coped, coping

1. to barter; trade; exchange.

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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

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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

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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)

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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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• copelessness
  noun
• copeless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• copes
  plural

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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”

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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

To cope with high costs, young Americans are moving back in with their parents, renting longer as home prices keep slipping out of reach, giving up on car ownership and working multiple jobs.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026

As the strong U.S. economy drove inflation and interest rates higher, investors began to look for the weakest links, the companies and countries that won’t be able to cope with higher borrowing costs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026

He said that to cope with the workload he would work from 07:00 on Saturdays and Sundays and not finish until 20:00 or 21:00.

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026

“I don’t know. It was a cope, in hindsight.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026

Making strong statements about their womanhood helped them to cope with these issues.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

Speaking to Spanish sports radio station COPE, he said the club behaved impeccably and pursued him properly from the first approach.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

“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

He too copes with blackouts, water shortages, a lack of farming supplies and ever-rising prices.

From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026

Since his mom was diagnosed with cancer at 83, Regis has pivoted to acting as what he calls a “capital C caregiver,” as she copes with treatment.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026

I asked how his family copes with his job.

From BBC ● May 28, 2025

Barlow, with the Archbishop's chaplains who assisted him in the office of the Communion, wore the silken copes of the older service; Scory and Hodgskins the fair linen surplice of the new.

From Stray Studies from England and Italy by John Richard Greene

Issa Diop: Lot of scrambling defence for the former West Ham man but coped OK for the most part and talked the Ipswich rearguard through the game.

From BBC ● Aug. 30, 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

The athleisure company has coped with negative commentary and disappointing product launches.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026

Instead, we coped, as all Jews in the ghetto tried to do.

From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson

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

A support group is holding a county-wide event for women coping with pain associated with menopause and perimenopause.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

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

From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026

The star noted that she had been trying her best to not break down in public, instead coping with her emotions behind closed doors.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026

I want to see how he is managing, how he is coping with his life, with having to eat turkeys, and with other things.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

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Related Words

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

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