couched; couching; couches
1
: to lay (oneself) down for rest or sleep
The lion couched himself by a tree.
2
: to embroider (a design) by laying down a thread and fastening it with small stitches at regular intervals
3
: to place or hold level and pointed forward ready for use
Couching his lance, he seated himself firmly in his saddle …—
W. Somerset Maugham
W. Somerset Maugham4
: to phrase or express in a specified manner
The comments were couched in strong terms.
1
: to lie down or recline for sleep or rest
the odd way a camel couches
2
: to lie in ambush
The tiger couches in the thick grass, watching its prey move closer.
1
a
: an article of furniture for sitting or reclining
b
: a couch on which a patient reclines when undergoing psychoanalysis
2
: the den of an animal (such as an otter)
Synonyms
Examples of couch in a Sentence
Verb
I'm trying to couch this delicately: I don't think we should date anymore.
I couched behind the partition so as to avoid an awkward situation with my ex.
Noun
find yourself a place on the couch and make yourself at home
Recent Examples on the WebJoby Warrick, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
Consumer advice, including advice couched as strong admonitions, has long been part of its responsibilities.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
This is not apparent from last spring’s 34-count indictment, which Bragg couched as a state falsification-of-records prosecution.
—Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 23 Mar. 2024
Fennell is wise to couch the story in the trappings of a British class drama, albeit a contemporary one.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2023
Brahim goes and brings Hector in from his grazing and couches him.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Jan. 2024
Only 11 engaged in debate or argument and thus reflected any interest in responding to my findings—albeit in responses couched in insults.
—Allyn Walker, Scientific American, 15 Jan. 2024
Miami couched it as Shula retiring, but that wasn’t the case.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 1 Feb. 2024
Before Iowa stuck a fork in Meatball Ron, a vote for DeSantis could be couched as a principled vote to oust Trump.
—Christian Schneider, National Review, 18 Jan. 2024
Toni Sutton, Peoplemag, 17 Apr. 2024
Lighting designer Ric Zimmerman has captured to perfection that cozy hue when you’re curled up in a blanket on the couch engrossed in an old movie that’s doing its best to scare you to death.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
After more than a decade in a kennel, Fiona now has a yard, a couch, and four fur siblings.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2024
Relaxing evenings on the couch transformed into draining conversations about when our taxes were due.
—Julia Ries, SELF, 15 Apr. 2024
When a hero is called to action, their cat gets left behind on the couch.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2024
Her ex-boyfriend, identified as 39-year-old Anthony Peterson, was discovered sleeping on the couch and in possession of a handgun, according to police.
—Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2024
Carpets, couches, stain-resistant clothes, commercial aircraft, low-emission vehicles, cell phones and cosmetics – the list of popular products that contain PFAS are too numerous to mention and nearly impossible to avoid.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
It was generally perceived as an act of intense devotion: accepting a horrible night’s sleep, on a couch that reeked of cat pee, while facing the prospect of Ram Dass dying on your watch.
—Christopher Fiorello, The New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2024
Verb
The inspectors’ latest trek, in February, yielded the usual matrices of readings and measurements, couched in the clinical language of a U.N. nuclear watchdog report.
—Joby Warrick, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
Consumer advice, including advice couched as strong admonitions, has long been part of its responsibilities.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
This is not apparent from last spring’s 34-count indictment, which Bragg couched as a state falsification-of-records prosecution.
—Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 23 Mar. 2024
Fennell is wise to couch the story in the trappings of a British class drama, albeit a contemporary one.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2023
Brahim goes and brings Hector in from his grazing and couches him.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Jan. 2024
Only 11 engaged in debate or argument and thus reflected any interest in responding to my findings—albeit in responses couched in insults.
—Allyn Walker, Scientific American, 15 Jan. 2024
Miami couched it as Shula retiring, but that wasn’t the case.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 1 Feb. 2024
Before Iowa stuck a fork in Meatball Ron, a vote for DeSantis could be couched as a principled vote to oust Trump.
—Christian Schneider, National Review, 18 Jan. 2024
Noun
It’s also designed with a slim profile to easily clean under coffee tables, couches, and other hard-to-reach areas.
—Toni Sutton, Peoplemag, 17 Apr. 2024
Lighting designer Ric Zimmerman has captured to perfection that cozy hue when you’re curled up in a blanket on the couch engrossed in an old movie that’s doing its best to scare you to death.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
After more than a decade in a kennel, Fiona now has a yard, a couch, and four fur siblings.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2024
Relaxing evenings on the couch transformed into draining conversations about when our taxes were due.
—Julia Ries, SELF, 15 Apr. 2024
When a hero is called to action, their cat gets left behind on the couch.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2024
Her ex-boyfriend, identified as 39-year-old Anthony Peterson, was discovered sleeping on the couch and in possession of a handgun, according to police.
—Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2024
Carpets, couches, stain-resistant clothes, commercial aircraft, low-emission vehicles, cell phones and cosmetics – the list of popular products that contain PFAS are too numerous to mention and nearly impossible to avoid.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
It was generally perceived as an act of intense devotion: accepting a horrible night’s sleep, on a couch that reeked of cat pee, while facing the prospect of Ram Dass dying on your watch.
—Christopher Fiorello, The New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'couch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near couch
Cite this Entry
“Couch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/couch. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
couch
1 of 2 transitive verb
: to treat (a cataract or a person who has a cataract) by displacing the lens of the eye into the vitreous body
couch
2 of 2 noun
: an article of furniture used (as by a patient undergoing psychoanalysis) for sitting or reclining
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