Couldn't

//ˈkʊd.n̩t// verb

verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    could not (negative auxiliary)

    "You couldn’t lend me a lighter, could you?"

Example

More examples

"I couldn't have done it without you. Thank you."

Etymology

From could + n’t.

More for "couldn't"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.