# couldn't

Pronunciation: say "KUUD-nt" /ˈkʊd.n̩t/

## Verb

1. Contraction of "could not," used to express that something was impossible, not allowed, or beyond someone's ability.
   - Simple: A short way to say "could not," used to show that something was not possible.
   - _He couldn't believe how much the city had changed._
   - _The hikers couldn't reach the summit before nightfall._

## Origin

Formed from "could" combined with the contraction "n't", meaning "not".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/couldn-t (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).