cope

1 of 4

verb (1)

ˈkōp 

coped; coping

intransitive verb

1

a

: to deal with and attempt to overcome problems and difficulties

—often used with with

learning to cope with the demands of her schedule

b

: to maintain a contest or combat usually on even terms or with success

—used with with

2

archaic : meet, encounter

3

obsolete : strike, fight

transitive verb

1

obsolete : to meet in combat

2

obsolete : to come in contact with

3

obsolete : match

cope

2 of 4

noun

1

: a long enveloping ecclesiastical vestment

The priest wore a cope for the benediction.

2

a

: something resembling a cope (as by concealing or covering)

… the dark sky's starry cope …

—P. B. Shelley

b

: coping

cope

3 of 4

verb (2)

coped; coping

transitive verb

: to cover or furnish with a cope

cope

4 of 4

verb (3)

coped; coping

transitive verb

1

: to shape (a structural member) to fit a coping or conform to the shape of another member

2

: notch

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• do
• fare
• get along
• get by
• get on
• make out
• manage
• shift

Noun

• blanket
• cloak
• cover
• cover-up
• covering
• coverture
• curtain
• hood
• mantle
• mask
• pall
• penumbra
• robe
• shroud
• veil
• wraps

Examples of cope in a Sentence

Noun

committed their nefarious deeds under the dark cope of night

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

If your goal is to find effective ways to cope with your frustration, therapy would help to lead you there. —Amy Dickinson, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2023

Maksym, who has attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, has struggled to cope and has been having anxiety attacks, said his mother, Maryna Honcharova. —Maria Varenikova, New York Times, 21 Nov. 2023

Her most popular posts chronicle the challenges and excitement of coping with polar night, including taking vitamin D supplements, bathing in icy water and making her cabin as cozy as possible. —Kaetlyn Liddy, NBC News, 20 Nov. 2023

That ability to cope with uncertainty makes these algorithms useful for real-world conundrums, like managing memory on a laptop or choosing which ads to display to people who browse the web. —Madison Goldberg, Quanta Magazine, 20 Nov. 2023

Read on to learn what nocturnal polyuria is, including symptoms, causes, ways to cope, and more. —Sarah Bradley, Health, 17 Nov. 2023

Since impulsive pulling or picking can be a way of trying to cope with tough emotions, adding a layer of stress to the mix might make a person engage in these actions more often. —Zahra Barnes, SELF, 14 Nov. 2023

Meanwhile in Texas, Ms. Feldman, a writer, turns to a familiar tool to cope. —Sarah Matusek, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Nov. 2023

Rykers said the contest’s email verification system has been struggling to cope with the surge in votes prompted by Oliver’s campaign. —Mithil Aggarwal, NBC News, 10 Nov. 2023

Noun

The set sold 43,000 copes in the U.S. in the week ending June 29, according to Luminate. —Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019

Three years of preparatory work had set the stage for an extraordinary five-hour pageant, as 2,500 Catholic bishops, each vested in white cope and miter, processed into the Vatican basilica. —George Weigel, WSJ, 13 Oct. 2022

See More

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English copen, coupen, from Anglo-French couper to strike, cut, from cop, colp blow, from Late Latin colpus, alteration of Latin colaphus, from Greek kolaphos buffet

Noun and Verb (2)

Middle English, from Old English -cāp, from Late Latin cappa head covering

Verb (3)

probably from French couper to cut

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 3

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (3)

circa 1901, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

cope

1 of 2 noun

ˈkōp 

: a long vestment that is worn like a cape by a priest or bishop

cope

2 of 2 verb

coped; coping

: to struggle or try to manage especially with some success

cope with a situation

Etymology

Noun

Old English -cap "long vestment, cope," from Latin cappa "head covering" — related to cape entry 2

Verb

from earlier cope "to strike, fight, engage in a struggle," from Middle English copen "to strike, fight," from early French couper "to strike, cut," from earlier cop "a blow" — related to coup, coupon

Medical Definition

cope

1 of 2 intransitive verb

ˈkōp 

coped; coping

: to deal with and attempt to overcome problems and difficulties

—usually used with with

helping children cope with grief

COPE

2 of 2 abbreviation

chronic obstructive pulmonary emphysema