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PlainSpell

cope

/ˈkoʊp/verb, noun, interjection

cope is spelled C-O-P-E: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears 11 times per million words in written English, the 6,674th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, cope means “To deal effectively with something, especially if difficult” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in cope?

Letters4: C-O-P-E
Syllables1 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing11 times per million words; the 6,674th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Rhymes with

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.

How common is cope?

Cope appears 11 times per million words in written English, the 6,674th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce cope?

  • UK /ˈkəʊp/
  • US /ˈkoʊp/

Cope has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-cope.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with cope?

The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as cope from its last stressed vowel (/oʊp/):

Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).

Forms of cope

  • copes present, singular, he/she/it, plural
  • coping participle, present
  • coped participle, past, singular, he/she/it, plural

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does cope mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

verb

  1. 1

    To deal effectively with something, especially if difficult.

  2. 2

    To cut and form a mitred joint in wood or metal.

  3. 3

    To clip the beak or talons of a bird.

  4. 4

    derogatoryTo cover (a joint or structure) with coping.

  5. 5

    derogatoryTo form a cope or arch; to arch or bend; to bow.

  6. 6

    derogatoryobsoleteTo bargain for; to buy.

  7. 7

    derogatoryobsoleteTo exchange or barter.

  8. 8

    derogatoryobsoleteTo make return for; to requite; to repay.

  9. 9

    derogatoryobsoleteTo match oneself against; to meet; to encounter.

  10. 10

    derogatoryobsoleteTo encounter; to meet; to have to do with.

  11. 11

    derogatoryobsoleteTo tie or sew up the mouth of a ferret used for hunting rabbits.

  12. 12

    derogatoryobsoleteTo silence or prevent from speaking.

noun

  1. 1

    slangA coping mechanism or self-delusion one clings to in order to endure a hopeless situation.

    My only 2 copes for the past 3 years have been food & the internet/surfing. Both of these copes have only hurt me further as I have addictions to both sugar and the internet now and have isolated myself further and further into the oblivion

  2. 2

    derogatoryA long, loose cloak worn by a priest, deacon, or bishop when presiding over a ceremony other than the Mass.

  3. 3

    derogatoryAny covering such as a canopy or a mantle.

  4. 4

    derogatoryThe vault or canopy of the skies, heavens etc.

  5. 5

    derogatoryA covering piece on top of a wall exposed to the weather, usually made of metal, masonry, or stone, and sloped to carry off water.

  6. 6

    derogatoryThe top part of a sand casting mold.

  7. 7

    derogatoryAn ancient tribute due to the lord of the soil, out of the lead mines in Derbyshire, England.

interjection

  1. 1

    derogatoryAn expression of spite towards someone who suffered a setback.

    "The other guy cheated, I had no chance!" "Cope."

  2. 2

    derogatoryA contemptuous dismissal, implying that someone should deal with some problem on their own and that the speaker will not engage any further.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Cope in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchse débrouiller, faire face (à) (to deal effectively with something), chape, pluvial (ceremonial cloak)
Germanschaffen, (mit etwas) zurechtkommen, klarkommen, bewältigen, (mit etwas) fertig werden (to deal effectively with something), Pluviale (ceremonial cloak)
Portugueseaguentar, lidar (to deal effectively with something), pluvial (ceremonial cloak)
Spanishlidiar (to deal effectively with something), capa pluvial (ceremonial cloak)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does cope come from?

From Middle English coupen, from Old French coper, couper (“to strike, to cut”). The noun use went mainstream around 2020.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after cope