a couple

noun
UK: /ə ˈkʌpl/
US: /ə ˈkʌpəl/

  1. Two things of the same type that are together.

    1. I have a couple of books here for you to read tonight. [ ] [ ]
    2. We've bought a couple of chickens to help keep the garden free of bugs. [ ] [ ]

  2. Two people who are married or in a romantic relationship.

    1. That young couple is always holding hands, so sweet. [ ] [ ]
    2. It was clear from their body language that they were a couple deeply in love. [ ] [ ]

  3. A small number of things or people; not many.

    1. I'll be there in a couple of minutes, I'm nearly ready. [ ] [ ]
    2. Could you lend me a couple of dollars to buy a soda from the vending machine? [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

pair duo brace few some several
a couple verb

  1. To join together as a pair or couple.

    1. The train cars were coupled together before the long journey, linking all cars. [ ] [ ]
    2. The lab tried to couple a couple of different molecules to create a new compound. [ ] [ ]
a couple adjective

  1. Used informally to mean 'a few' or 'some'.

    1. I have a couple ideas that I'd like to share with you. [ ] [ ]
    2. A couple of friends are coming over this weekend to watch the game with me. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "a couple" in English means: Two things of the same type that are together., Two people who are married or in a romantic relationship., A small number of things or people; not many..

The phonetic transcription of "a couple" is /ə ˈkʌpl/ in British English and /ə ˈkʌpəl/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "a couple": pair, duo, brace, few, some, several.

Example usage of "a couple": "I have a couple of books here for you to read tonight.". More examples on the page.