cop out
"cop-out" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“cop out” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To avoid or shirk, either by failing to perform, or by performing in a grossly insufficient, negligent, or superficial manner.
Corpus desk
Index EN-cop-out · cop out · English
cop out · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 7 letters
- VOW-3 3 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "C" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | cop out |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “cop out” in English
Rare enough to double-check
cop out is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 7 senses are on record.
cop out doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: Attested since 1942 as “flee, escape, cop (an) out”. The correct English form is cop out, spelled C-O-P- -O-U-T.
Definition
- 1To avoid or shirk, either by failing to perform, or by performing in a grossly insufficient, negligent, or superficial manner.
- 2To plead guilty and ask for mercy.
- 3To blame; to assign blame to; to get into trouble.
- 4To remove from a situation or crowd, such as for arrest or punishment.
- 5To leave a gang.
- 6To abandon, let down or betray (someone).
- 7To win (someone) over; to get on (someone's) good side.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how cop out appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Faced with the prospect of cooking for himself, his first thought was to cop out and order a pizza.
There was no bird fair at Druridge so I didn't have to feel guilty about copping out of it.
Etymology
Attested since 1942 as “flee, escape, cop (an) out”.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.