couldn't

American

[kood-nt] / ˈkʊd nt /

contraction of could not.

couldn't British

/ ˈkʊdənt /

contraction

could not

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

couldn't Idioms

More idioms and phrases containing couldn't

can't
hurt a flea, couldn't

Usage

See care, contraction.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It couldn’t waddle or sway without components from Chinese robot maker Unitree that power the motion of its neck and legs, according to a research paper by Disney.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

We couldn't believe it, we were like, 'Does she actually know all these people?'

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

Ashlee Simpson, it was clear, intended to lip sync, which sort of implied to casual observers that she couldn’t sing.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

Sauer couldn’t give a straight answer, which seemed to frustrate the justice.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

“What isssssss it?” the other snakes cried, gazes darting all around, and Clare realized they couldn’t see Gingersnipes, the wandering soul visible only to him.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023