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.

“What does France know about the queer rancheros coming from different places in Mexico where they couldn’t really be themselves, but now hang out at Club Tempo in East Hollywood?”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

The reason is that the sport’s fancy new automated ball-strike system couldn’t function without it—which means that the days of players embellishing their heights for posterity are officially over.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

"You couldn't get a more Hashtag location," Owen added.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

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

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

She only ever talked to Nine, whispering to him in a voice so small, even Clare couldn’t catch the words.

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