Word Explorer
Could
/kʊd/
(auxiliary verb, defective) To know how to; to be able to.
📖 Definitions of "Could"
- 1
(auxiliary verb, defective) To know how to; to be able to.
"She can speak English, French, and German. I can play football. Can you remember your fifth birthday?"
- 2
(modal auxiliary verb, defective) May; to be permitted or enabled to.
"You can go outside and play when you're finished with your homework. Can I use your pen?"
- 3
(modal auxiliary verb, defective) To have the potential to; be possible.
"Animals can experience emotions."
- 4
(auxiliary verb, defective) Used with verbs of perception.
"Can you hear that?."
- 1
Something that could happen, or could be the case, under different circumstances; a potentiality.
🔄 Synonyms of "Could"
1 synonyms found via WordNet and Google Books.
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| mightnoun | (auxiliary) simple past of may |
💡 Words with a Similar Meaning to "Could"
Found via reverse dictionary — words that share a conceptual meaning.
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| mightnoun | (auxiliary) simple past of may |
| possiblenoun | (comparable) Capable of being done or achieved; feasible. |
| likelynoun | Probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring. |
| maybenoun | Perhaps, possibly. |
| oughtverb | (auxiliary, formal, dated) Indicating duty or obligation. |
| potentialnoun | A currently unrealized ability (with the most common adposition being to). |
| hownoun | (interrogative) In what manner: |
| mindnoun | The capability for rational thought. |
| ableverb | Having the necessary powers or the needed resources to accomplish a task. |
| perhapsnoun | Possibly. |
| peut | — |
| wannanoun | "Wanna" is a song by South Korean girl group Kara from their second studio album, Revolution. |
| shallverb | Used before a verb to indicate the simple future tense in the first person singular or plural. |
| maynoun | (modal auxiliary verb, defective) To have permission to, be allowed. Used in granting permission and in questions to make polite requests. |
| wouldverb | Past tense of will; usually followed by a bare infinitive. |
| shouldnoun | Ought to; indicating opinion, advice, or instruction, about what is required or desirable. |
| willnoun | (auxiliary) Used to express the future tense, sometimes with an implication of volition or determination when used in the first person. Compare shall. |
| manageable | Capable of being managed or controlled. |
| allowablenoun | Permissible; tolerable; legitimate. |
| permissible | permitted. |
⚡ Words Strongly Associated with "Could"
These words statistically appear in the same text as "could" (Google Books Ngrams).
🎨 Adjectives for "Could"
Popular adjectives used to describe this word in books.
🏷️ Nouns for "Could"
Common nouns this word is used to describe.
📝 Common Phrases with "Could"
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