coup

coup — noun

1. a remarkable and often sudden success that someone achieves, especially one that

1.nounB2
Definition

a remarkable and often sudden success that someone achieves, especially one that surprises others because it seemed unlikely or difficult to reach

Example

Feng scored a major coup when her firm won the contract over three larger rivals.

collocation: score a coup / major coup

Ilan described the trade agreement as the greatest diplomatic coup of his career.

Common collocations
  • score a coup
  • pull off a coup
  • diplomatic coup
  • major coup
  • stunning coup
  • real coup
  • cultural coup
Synonyms
  • feat

    focuses on the difficulty of the achievement rather than surprise or cleverness

  • triumph

    carries a stronger emotional sense of victory and joy

  • masterstroke

    highlights the cleverness of a single action or decision

  • sensation

    emphasises the public excitement or shock the achievement creates

Antonyms

Common Mistakes

Winning the lottery was a coup.
Winning the lottery was a stroke of luck.
'coup' involves skill or strategy, not just luck.

2. a sudden and illegal action, often carried out by military forces, that removes

2.nounB2
Definition

a sudden and illegal action, often carried out by military forces, that removes a country's government or leader from power

Example

Army officers led a military coup while the president was at a conference overseas.

collocation: lead a coup / military coup

After the failed coup, the government arrested hundreds of soldiers and closed all opposition newspapers.

collocation: failed coup

Common collocations
  • military coup
  • failed coup
  • attempted coup
  • bloodless coup
  • stage a coup
  • coup attempt
  • coup leader
Synonyms
  • overthrow

    focuses on the result (the government being removed) rather than the action itself

  • takeover

    broader term that can be used in business or politics; less specific to illegal action

  • putsch

    a German term for a violent attempt to seize power, less common in English

Usage Note

Often called a 'coup d'état' in formal or historical writing. Frequently modified by adjectives such as 'military,' 'bloodless,' or 'attempted.'

Common Mistakes

The rebels started a coup against the king.
The rebels started a rebellion against the king.
'coup' is typically carried out by an elite group (often military officers), not a popular uprising.

coup — verb

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Coup, feat, triumph, masterstroke, and sensation all describe notable achievements, but each has a different focus. Coup emphasises surprise and strategic cleverness — it is often used in competitive contexts such as business or diplomacy. Feat is more neutral and highlights how difficult the achievement was. Triumph carries a strong emotional tone of victory and joy after a struggle. Masterstroke draws attention to the brilliance of a single decision or move. Sensation focuses on the public excitement or shock the achievement causes. A deal can be both a coup (surprising and clever) and a triumph (emotionally satisfying), but only coup suggests it was a cleverly orchestrated surprise rather than a hard-fought victory.

feat ↗triumph ↗masterstrokesensation ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • stage a coup
  • pull off a coup
  • carry out a coup

Prepositions

Etymology

FrenchEnglish

The word coup comes from French, where it literally means 'a blow' or 'a strike.' The political meaning comes from the French phrase coup d'état, meaning 'a strike against the state,' which entered English in the 1600s. Over time, the word broadened to refer to any sudden, impressive success in non-political contexts as well.