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Cope is a really common verb among native English speakers. It means 'to deal with something difficult' or 'to face something hard effectively or calmly.' You can also use it in the negative form, when you want to say that it's too difficult to deal with something.
Example sentences
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She is a strong woman and copes with rude clients on a daily basis.
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It has been hard for Daisy to cope with the pain of her brother's death.
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I can't cope with this dysfunctional relationship anymore, Brian; I think we should break up.
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I don't know how we're going to pay for the car repairs, but somehow we'll cope.
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Words often used with cope
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Cope doesn't have to take an object, but when it does, it is followed by the preposition with. Example: "It's hard to cope with two small children and a full-time job."
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Did you know?
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Another way of saying cope with something is deal with something. Deal with can be used in almost all instances where you would used cope with, but unlike cope, deal cannot be used on its own without an object. So, you can say "I don't know how you cope with all your work" or "I don't know how you deal with all your work," and you can say "You're always so busy; I don't know how you cope," but normally not "You're always so busy; I don't know how you deal." An alternative verb you can use without an object is manage ("You're so busy; I don't know how you manage!").
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Origin
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Cope dates back to the first half of the 14th century and comes from the Middle English word coupen, which comes from the Old French word couper, meaning 'to strike.'
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