A coup de grâce (/ ˌkuː də ˈɡrɑːs /; French: [ku də ɡʁɑs] ⓘ lit. 'blow of mercy') is an act of mercy killing in which a mortally wounded person or animal is fatally struck with a melee weapon or …

Dec 8, 2016 · Later, coup de grâce had come to mean "an act or event that puts a definite end to something." Other coup terms that have made the jump from French to English include coup …

Causing something to end (Definition of coup de grâce from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

COUP DE GRÂCE meaning: 1 : an action or event that finally ends or destroys something that has been getting weaker or worse; 2 : a hit or shot that kills a person or animal that is suffering

Dec 14, 2025 · Borrowed from French coup de grâce (“finishing blow”). Originally referring to a merciful stroke putting a fatally wounded person out of misery or to the shot delivered to the …

A coup de grace is an action or event which finally destroys something, for example an institution, which has been gradually growing weaker.

Definition of coup de grâce noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

coup de grâce A French phrase meaning blow of mercy, that is, a final killing blow that puts a fatally wounded person out of his misery; used to mean the action or event that finally destroys …

Coup de grace is French for stroke of grace. In French and in its early English use, the phrase usually referred to a blow meant to quickly end the misery of one who is mortally wounded. In …

Jan 15, 2025 · What Is the Meaning of Coup de Grace? Coup de grace, pronounced COO-DUH-GRAS (“Gras” almost rhymes with “floss”), is a death blow or a blow of mercy ending a …