Auxiliary verb. a simple past tense of can 1. (used to express possibility): i wonder who that could be at the door. that couldn’t be true. (used to express conditional possibility or ability): you could do it if you tried..
Could verb (can) a2. past simple of "can", used to talk about what someone or something was able or allowed to do: when i was younger i could stay up all night and not get tired. it was so noisy that we couldn’t hear ourselves speak. you said we could watch tv when we finished our homework.. When used this way, could is used to express conditional or hypothetical ability or possibility even when talking about the present or the future. when discussing the past in this context, the word could is often used alongside the auxiliary verb have. for example: if you really tried, you could easily pass the test tomorrow.. Could synonyms: 47 synonyms & antonyms for could | thesaurus.com find out! thesaurus / could feedback could see definition of could on dictionary.com verb preserve fruit, vegetable verb be able verb fire from job synonyms for could compare synonyms keep bottle put up antonyms for could most relevant cannot employ hire.
We use could to refer to single events that happened in the past, with verbs of the senses (smell, taste, see, hear, touch, etc.) and mental processes (think, believe, remember, understand etc.): the food was terrible. i could taste nothing but salt. we knew they were in there. we could hear voices inside.. Could (kʊd; unstressed kəd) v. 1. a pt. of can 1. auxiliary verb. 2. (used to express possibility): that could never be true. 3. (used to express conditional possibility or ability): you could do it if you tried. 4. (used in making polite requests): could you open the door for me, please? 5. (used in asking for permission): could i borrow your pen?.
Could (kʊd; unstressed kəd) v. 1. a pt. of can 1. auxiliary verb. 2. (used to express possibility): that could never be true. 3. (used to express conditional possibility or ability): you could do it if you tried. 4. (used in making polite requests): could you open the door for me, please? 5. (used in asking for permission): could i borrow your pen?. When used this way, could is used to express conditional or hypothetical ability or possibility even when talking about the present or the future. when discussing the past in this context, the word could is often used alongside the auxiliary verb have. for example: if you really tried, you could easily pass the test tomorrow..
