coup

coup — 名詞

1. a remarkable and often sudden success that someone achieves, especially one that

1.名詞B2
釋義

妙招；勝績

出乎意料的大成功

a remarkable and often sudden success that someone achieves, especially one that surprises others because it seemed unlikely or difficult to reach

例句

Feng scored a major coup when her firm won the contract over three larger rivals.

Feng 的公司贏過三家更大的對手拿到合約，可說是她的一大妙招。

collocation: score a coup / major coup

Ilan described the trade agreement as the greatest diplomatic coup of his career.

Ilan 形容這項貿易協定是他外交生涯中最大的一場勝績。

同義詞
  • feat

    focuses on the difficulty of the achievement rather than surprise or cleverness

  • triumph

    carries a stronger emotional sense of victory and joy

  • masterstroke

    highlights the cleverness of a single action or decision

  • sensation

    emphasises the public excitement or shock the achievement creates

反義詞

常見錯誤

❌Winning the lottery was a coup.
✅Winning the lottery was a stroke of luck.
💡'coup' involves skill or strategy, not just luck.

2. a sudden and illegal action, often carried out by military forces, that removes

2.名詞B2
釋義

政變

用武力非法推翻政府

a sudden and illegal action, often carried out by military forces, that removes a country's government or leader from power

例句

Army officers led a military coup while the president was at a conference overseas.

軍官們在總統出國開會時發動了一場軍事政變。

collocation: lead a coup / military coup

After the failed coup, the government arrested hundreds of soldiers and closed all opposition newspapers.

政變失敗後，政府逮捕了數百名士兵，並關閉了所有反對派報紙。

collocation: failed coup

同義詞
  • overthrow

    focuses on the result (the government being removed) rather than the action itself

  • takeover

    broader term that can be used in business or politics; less specific to illegal action

  • putsch

    a German term for a violent attempt to seize power, less common in English

用法筆記

Often called a 'coup d'état' in formal or historical writing. Frequently modified by adjectives such as 'military,' 'bloodless,' or 'attempted.'

常見錯誤

❌The rebels started a coup against the king.
✅The rebels started a rebellion against the king.
💡'coup' is typically carried out by an elite group (often military officers), not a popular uprising.

coup — 動詞