{"id":8821,"date":"2022-09-08T00:59:02","date_gmt":"2022-09-08T00:59:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=8821"},"modified":"2022-09-08T00:59:02","modified_gmt":"2022-09-08T00:59:02","slug":"coup-de-grace-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/coup-de-grace-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Coup de Grace \u2013 Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Did you accidentally hit a deer in your car? If the animal is suffering, you could use a 'coup de grace'<\/em><\/strong> to put it out of its misery. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/h2>\n

The expression 'coup de grace'<\/em> means a death blow dealt to a person or animal out of mercy for their situation<\/u>. For instance, if you hit an animal on the road and there is no chance of saving it, you could issue a 'coup de grace'<\/em> (death blow) to put a swift end to its suffering.<\/u><\/p>\n

The original form<\/u> of the saying is 'coup de gr\u00e2ce<\/em>.' However, the modern use of the word in English doesn't require the use of a circumflex,<\/u> resulting in 'coup de grace.' The term translates from French<\/u> to 'blow of mercy' <\/em>or 'stroke of grace.'<\/em><\/p>\n

The term can also refer to someone's style leading to an outstanding or remarkable finishing move<\/u>. An example would be someone taking a three-point shot and winning the game at the buzzer.<\/p>\n

Example Usage<\/h2>\n

\"I was driving home and ran into a deer on the road. The poor thing was beyond saving, so I had to shoot it. Better to give it a coup de grace rather than let it suffer.\"<\/p>\n

\"The strong dollar could be the coup de grace for financial markets, throwing fuel on the inflationary fire. Could this be the end of the global economy?\"<\/p>\n

\"The coup de grace came to the markets as commodity prices moved higher after the massive stimulus launched by the Federal Reserve.\"<\/p>\n

\"The coup de grace to the Biden administration will be how he handles the economy. He has no clue what he's doing, and it will cause a financial disaster the likes of which we've never seen in history.\"<\/p>\n

\"The rising interest rate was the coup de grace to the property deal. The new buyer couldn't afford the mortgage at those rates.\"<\/p>\n

\"It seems like the coup de grace will come from the firm that decides to buy out the company, replacing the management with a fresh team.\"<\/p>\n

\"The coup de grace for the Sonics was when LeBron scored that buzzer beater, pushing them out of the playoffs.\"<\/p>\n

\"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

Origin<\/h2>\n

The expression \u2018coup de grace\u2019 originates from French. The phrase first appeared in English towards the end of the 17th century. The term originally referred to mercy killing or euthanizing a sick or injured animal to put it out of its misery.<\/p>\n

In some instances, you could use coup de grace to describe the execution of a convicted criminal. Over the decades, \u2018coup de grace\u2019 would refer to an event or act putting a definite end to it.<\/p>\n

Language experts cannot pinpoint when the term entered the English lexicon or who coined its use in English.<\/p>\n