coupe

coupe — noun

1. A short-stemmed drinking glass whose round bowl is broad and flat rather than de

1.nounB1
Definition

A short-stemmed drinking glass whose round bowl is broad and flat rather than deep, used at parties and bars to serve cocktails or sparkling wine.

Example

Samir poured the champagne into a chilled coupe glass at the wedding reception.

collocation: chilled coupe glass

A coupe glass has a broad bowl that shows off a cocktail's colour.

Common collocations
  • chilled coupe
  • vintage coupe
  • coupe glass
  • stem of the coupe
  • fill a coupe
Synonyms
  • champagne coupe

    A coupe glass specifically used for champagne; wider and shallower than a flute.

  • cocktail glass

    A broader category that includes coupe glasses and the more common V-shaped martini glasses.

Antonyms
  • champagne flute

    A tall, narrow glass for champagne that preserves bubbles longer than a coupe glass.

Grammar Patterns

coupe glass (as compound noun)

Usage Note

Often used in the compound 'coupe glass' to distinguish it from other glassware. Pronounced /kuːp/ (rhymes with 'soup'), not to be confused with the car sense, which is pronounced /kuːˈpeɪ/.

Common Mistakes

The champagne was served in a coupé glass.
The champagne was served in a coupe glass.
The glass is spelled without an accent mark and pronounced /kuːp/.

2. A two-door automobile whose roofline slopes downward towards the rear, typically

2.nounB1
Definition

A two-door automobile whose roofline slopes downward towards the rear, typically seating two to four passengers and giving the vehicle a sporty appearance.

Example

Felipe parked his silver coupe next to his wife's SUV in the driveway.

collocation: silver coupe

The new electric coupe can drive three hundred miles on a single charge.

Common collocations
  • sports coupe
  • two-door coupe
  • electric coupe
  • luxury coupe
  • drives a coupe
Synonyms
  • two-door car

    A neutral description without the sporty connotation of 'coupe'.

  • sports car

    Often overlaps in meaning, though a sports car emphasizes performance more than body style.

Antonyms
  • sedan

    A car with four doors and a separate trunk; the opposite body style to a coupe.

  • SUV

    A sports utility vehicle with a high roofline, typically larger and more practical than a coupe.

Usage Note

Countable noun. Traditionally, a coupe has two doors and seats two to four people. Some modern car makers market 'four-door coupe' designs, but this is a marketing term rather than the traditional definition. The traditional spelling is 'coupé' (with an acute accent over the e); 'coupe' without the accent is a widely accepted variant that has become the standard form in American English.

Common Mistakes

My car has four doors, so it is a coupe.
My car has four doors, so it is a sedan, not a coupe.
By the traditional definition, a coupe has two doors.

3. A horse-drawn enclosed carriage on four wheels, used during the 1800s and early

3.nounC1
Definition

A horse-drawn enclosed carriage on four wheels, used during the 1800s and early 1900s, that carried two people inside while the driver sat on an outside bench at the front.

Example

The museum displayed a 19th-century coupe once owned by a French ambassador.

historical register marker

In old novels, wealthy characters often travel through the city in a coupe.

Common collocations
  • horse-drawn coupe
  • 19th-century coupe
  • closed coupe
  • ride in a coupe
Synonyms
  • carriage

    A broader term for any horse-drawn passenger vehicle.

  • brougham

    A similar enclosed carriage for two to four passengers, often with a seat for the driver outside.

  • landau

    A four-wheeled carriage with a collapsible top, not fully enclosed like a coupe.

Antonyms
  • open carriage

    A horse-drawn vehicle without a fixed roof, the opposite design to a closed coupe.

Usage Note

This sense is historical and rarely used outside of museums, historical fiction, or antique-vehicle contexts. The pronunciation follows the French-derived /kuːˈpeɪ/ pattern shared with the car sense. The traditional form of the word is 'coupé' (with an acute accent); 'coupe' without the accent is an accepted variant, especially in American English.

Common Mistakes

We rode through the park in an open coupe.
We rode through the park in an open carriage.
A coupe is specifically a closed carriage; an open version would be called a landau or barouche.

Word family

  • coupé
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

These four terms describe different car body styles. A coupe has two doors and a sloping rear roof, giving it a sporty appearance. A sedan has four doors and a separate trunk compartment, making it more practical for families. A convertible has a retractable roof that can be opened, while a hatchback has a rear door that opens upward (often on a compact car). In everyday use, 'coupe' suggests style and performance, 'sedan' suggests practicality, 'convertible' suggests open-air driving, and 'hatchback' suggests versatility. For example: 'He chose a coupe for its sleek profile, while his sister preferred a sedan with more rear legroom.'

coupe ↗sedan ↗convertible ↗hatchback

Common collocations

Prepositions

  • in a coupe
  • into a coupe
  • of a coupe

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'coupe' comes from two distinct French sources that converged in English. The glass sense comes from French 'coupe' (a cup or bowl), from Latin 'cuppa' (a drinking vessel). The car and carriage senses come from French 'coupé', the past participle of 'couper' (to cut), referring to a shortened or 'cut' carriage — originally a 'carrosse coupé' (a cut-down carriage). English adopted the car/carriage sense in the 19th century and gradually dropped the accent mark, especially in American English.