"cop-out" meaning in English

See cop-out in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Audio: En-au-cop-out.ogg Forms: cop-outs [plural]
Etymology: Deverbal from cop out. Etymology templates: {{deverbal|en|cop out}} Deverbal from cop out Head templates: {{en-noun}} cop-out (plural cop-outs)
  1. (slang) Avoidance or inadequate performance of a task or duty; the action of copping out. Tags: slang Translations (avoidance or inadequate performance of a task or duty): het terugkrabbelen (Dutch), het laten afweten (Dutch), het zich onttrekken (Dutch), Rückzieher [masculine] (German), Drückebergerei [feminine] (German), Verpisserei [feminine] (German), furbata [feminine] (Italian)
    Sense id: en-cop-out-en-noun-A~B-Of9p Disambiguation of 'avoidance or inadequate performance of a task or duty': 81 15 4
  2. (slang) An excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty; a reason offered when someone cops out. Tags: slang Translations (an excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty): smoes (Dutch), Ausflucht [feminine] (German), Ausrede [feminine] (German), pretesto [masculine] (Italian), scusa [feminine] (Italian), отгово́рка (otgovórka) [feminine] (Russian)
    Sense id: en-cop-out-en-noun-9B2mGLrQ Disambiguation of 'an excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty': 9 90 1
  3. (slang) A person who cops out. Tags: slang Categories (topical): People Synonyms: copout Translations (a person who cops out): iemand die afhaakt (Dutch), Drückeberger [masculine] (German), scansafatiche [masculine] (Italian), lavativo [masculine] (Italian), fannullone [masculine] (Italian), irresponsabile [masculine] (Italian)
    Sense id: en-cop-out-en-noun-bjzSpSqC Disambiguation of People: 17 3 80 Categories (other): English deverbals, English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Russian translations Disambiguation of English deverbals: 20 22 58 Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 27 27 46 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 26 24 50 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 27 25 48 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 25 24 51 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 23 22 55 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 23 23 54 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 23 21 56 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 23 21 56 Disambiguation of 'a person who cops out': 11 16 73

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cop out"
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      "expansion": "Deverbal from cop out",
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  "etymology_text": "Deverbal from cop out.",
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        {
          "text": "His disappearance on the day of the audition was just a cop-out.",
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        "Avoidance or inadequate performance of a task or duty; the action of copping out."
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        "(slang) Avoidance or inadequate performance of a task or duty; the action of copping out."
      ],
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        {
          "_dis1": "81 15 4",
          "code": "nl",
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          "sense": "avoidance or inadequate performance of a task or duty",
          "word": "het terugkrabbelen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "81 15 4",
          "code": "nl",
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          "sense": "avoidance or inadequate performance of a task or duty",
          "word": "het laten afweten"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "81 15 4",
          "code": "nl",
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          "word": "het zich onttrekken"
        },
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          "_dis1": "81 15 4",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "avoidance or inadequate performance of a task or duty",
          "tags": [
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        },
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          "sense": "avoidance or inadequate performance of a task or duty",
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        {
          "_dis1": "81 15 4",
          "code": "de",
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          "sense": "avoidance or inadequate performance of a task or duty",
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          ],
          "word": "Verpisserei"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "81 15 4",
          "code": "it",
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        {
          "text": "It was a cop-out to say he couldn't sign the petition because he sprained his wrist.",
          "type": "example"
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        "An excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty; a reason offered when someone cops out."
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      "id": "en-cop-out-en-noun-9B2mGLrQ",
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        "(slang) An excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty; a reason offered when someone cops out."
      ],
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        "slang"
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        {
          "_dis1": "9 90 1",
          "code": "nl",
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          "sense": "an excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty",
          "word": "smoes"
        },
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          "_dis1": "9 90 1",
          "code": "de",
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          "sense": "an excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
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          "word": "Ausflucht"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 90 1",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "an excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "Ausrede"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 90 1",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "an excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "pretesto"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 90 1",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "an excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "scusa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 90 1",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "otgovórka",
          "sense": "an excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty",
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          "ref": "1989 August 12, Kate Rushin, “Is Better Than Hollywood Good Enough?”, in Gay Community News, volume 17, number 5, page 8:",
          "text": "Even when they are talking one-on-one, we aren't allowed to see behind the posturing and emblematic language. The major exception to this is Da Mayor […] who is both scorned and respected, seen as both a cop-out and a hero.",
          "type": "quote"
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        "A person who cops out."
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        "(slang) A person who cops out."
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          "_dis1": "27 25 47",
          "word": "copout"
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        {
          "_dis1": "11 16 73",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "a person who cops out",
          "word": "iemand die afhaakt"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "11 16 73",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "a person who cops out",
          "tags": [
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          ],
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        },
        {
          "_dis1": "11 16 73",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "a person who cops out",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "scansafatiche"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "11 16 73",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "a person who cops out",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "lavativo"
        },
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          "_dis1": "11 16 73",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "a person who cops out",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "fannullone"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "11 16 73",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "a person who cops out",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "irresponsabile"
        }
      ]
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  "word": "cop-out"
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      ],
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        "(slang) Avoidance or inadequate performance of a task or duty; the action of copping out."
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        "An excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty; a reason offered when someone cops out."
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        "(slang) An excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty; a reason offered when someone cops out."
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        "(slang) A person who cops out."
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  "synonyms": [
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  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "avoidance or inadequate performance of a task or duty",
      "word": "het terugkrabbelen"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "avoidance or inadequate performance of a task or duty",
      "word": "het laten afweten"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "avoidance or inadequate performance of a task or duty",
      "word": "het zich onttrekken"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "avoidance or inadequate performance of a task or duty",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Rückzieher"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "avoidance or inadequate performance of a task or duty",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Drückebergerei"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "avoidance or inadequate performance of a task or duty",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Verpisserei"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "avoidance or inadequate performance of a task or duty",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "furbata"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "an excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty",
      "word": "smoes"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "an excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Ausflucht"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "an excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Ausrede"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "an excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "pretesto"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "an excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "scusa"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "otgovórka",
      "sense": "an excuse made in order to avoid performing a task or duty",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "отгово́рка"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "a person who cops out",
      "word": "iemand die afhaakt"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "a person who cops out",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Drückeberger"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "a person who cops out",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "scansafatiche"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "a person who cops out",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "lavativo"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "a person who cops out",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "fannullone"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "a person who cops out",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "irresponsabile"
    }
  ],
  "word": "cop-out"
}

Download raw JSONL data for cop-out meaning in English (5.4kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-21 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (d8cb2f3 and 4e554ae). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.