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could

English · Thesaurus

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could

  • /kəd/
  • [kʰəd]
  • /kʊd/
  • [kʰʊd]
  • /kɵd/
  • [kʰɵd]
  • /kʉd/
  • /kuːld/ Early Modern
  • /kʊ(l)d/ Early Modern

Sounds like cud (strong form, without the foot–strut split), khud (strong form) · Rhymes with -ʊd

Where it comes from

From Middle English coude, couthe, cuthe, from Old English cūþe, past indicative and past subjunctive form of cunnan (“to be able”) (compare related cūþ, whence English couth). Cognate with German konnte, Swedish kunde.

The -l- in the spelling was added in the early 16th century by analogy with should and would; this analogy formerly affected the pronunciation as well and was probably assisted by the tendency for /l/ to be lost in those words (and so not written, leading to shudd, wode, etc).

verb coulde · couldst · couldest · could'st · coud · cou'd

  1. past simple past of can Before I was blind, I could see very well.
  2. Used as a past subjunctive (contrary to fact). "If I'd had a paddle I could've spun by that dashed root," Meekins said, feeling some apology due for the mishap. "When I first climbed out of that fool creek I thought my arm had got twisted off, but I guess it ain't."
  3. Used to politely ask for permission to do something. Could I borrow your coat?
  4. Used to politely ask for someone else to do something. Could you proofread this email?
  5. Used to show the possibility that something might happen. Even without hovering drones, a lurking assassin, a thumping score and a denouement, the real-life story of Edward Snowden, a rogue spy on the run, could be straight out of the cinema. But, as with Hollywood, the subplots and exotic locations may distract from the real message: America’s discomfort
  6. Used to suggest something. You could try adding more salt to the soup.
  7. participle, past past participle of can I haven't could sleep.

noun coulds · coulde · couldst · couldest · could'st · coud

  1. Something that could happen, or could be the case, under different circumstances; a potentiality. When the golf ball is there, the whole self-interference package — the hopes, worries, and fears; the thoughts on how-to and how-not-to; the woulds, the coulds, and the shoulds — is there too.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: might, possible, likely, maybe, ought, potential, how, mind, able, perhaps, peut, wanna, shall, may, would, should

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Cite this
MLA

"could." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/could. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

could. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/could

Chicago

"could." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/could.

BibTeX
@misc{could_2026,
  title = {could},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/could},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}