← Back to Fala2Me

cop out

[/kɑp aʊt/]
verb/noun
esquivar-se, furtar-se, desistir
1. (verb) To avoid or evade a responsibility, duty, or commitment; to back out of something
He copped out of the presentation at the last minute.
Ele se esquivou da apresentação no último minuto.
2. (verb) To make an excuse or provide a weak explanation to avoid doing something
Don't cop out on me now; we need your help.
Não se furte agora; precisamos da sua ajuda.
3. (noun) An excuse or weak explanation used to avoid responsibility
His explanation was a complete cop out.
Sua explicação foi uma completa desculpa fraca.
NYC Slang
bail, punk out, bounce
Synonyms
back outchicken outdodgeshirkevadebail outwimp out
Antonyms
follow throughcommitengageface up to

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
esquivar-se, furtar-se, desistir
Most commonly used in Brazilian Portuguese
Rio de Janeiro
se enrolar, dar um jeito
Colloquial usage
São Paulo
brecar, sair fora
Informal urban usage
Portugal
recuar, esquivar-se, dar um jeito
Less commonly used; more formal alternatives preferred

Related Idioms & Phrases

take the easy way out
run away from responsibility
find an excuse
back down
Look up more words on Fala2Me
The free English-Portuguese dictionary with real Brazilian accents, NYC slang, conjugator and more
Open Fala2Me →