copout
Definition
Noun: 1. An act of avoiding a difficult situation or responsibility: A "copout" is a failure to face a challenge, duty, or problem directly and honestly. It often involves using a weak or dishonest excuse to escape commitment or effort.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- Saying you're too busy is just a copout; you need to take responsibility for your part of the project.
- His apology felt like a copout, as it didn't address the real issue.
- Quitting the team because practice is hard is a total copout.
Advanced Usage
- "That's a copout": A common phrase used to directly accuse someone of making a weak excuse to avoid something.
- "You can't say you forgot—that's a copout."
Variants and Related Words
- To cop out (phrasal verb): The verb form meaning to avoid a responsibility or commitment.
- He promised to help, but he copped out at the last minute.
- Cop-out (adjective, attributive): Used to describe something that constitutes an avoidance.
- That was a cop-out answer from the politician.
Synonyms
- Evasion: The act of avoiding something, especially a duty or question.
- Excuse: A reason or explanation given to justify a fault or offense (often weak or false in this context).
- Pretext: A false reason given to conceal the real purpose of an action.
Related Phrases
- To take the easy way out: An idiom meaning to choose the least difficult option, often by avoiding responsibility.
- Instead of solving the problem, he always takes the easy way out.
Noun
-
a failure to face some difficulty squarely
