Coup De Grâce
/ˌkuː də ˈɡrɑːs/noun
A final blow or decisive action that ends suffering or completes a collapse.
Did you know?The phrase entered English from French, where coup de grâce literally means a ‘blow of grace,’ a grimly compassionate term for the finishing stroke delivered to a mortally wounded person or cause.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
colpus
“a blow or strike”
Old French
Old French
coup
“a blow, strike, or sudden hit”
Old French
Old French
grâce
“grace, favor, mercy”
17th Century
French
coup de grâce
“the final merciful blow given to end suffering”
18th Century
English
coup de grâce
“a finishing blow or decisive final stroke”
Modern English
English
coup de grâce
“the decisive final blow that ends something”