coping

The word “coping” means the way someone deals with stress, hardship, or a difficult situation. In plain terms, most often means handling a hard situation; in building terms it means the capping layer on top of a wall.

Here is “coping” used in a sentence: “Exercise became her main coping strategy during exams.”

“Coping” is a noun.

“Coping” is an uncommon word in modern English.

“Coping” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the way someone deals with stress, hardship, or a difficult situation.

Coping refers to the way someone deals with stress, hardship, or a difficult situation while it is happening or ongoing, while healing refers to recovering from harm or distress over time, often after the difficulty has passed. A person can be coping with an illness while still in the process of healing.

Coping mechanisms are the specific strategies people use to deal with stress or hardship, such as talking to others, exercise, journaling, or relaxation techniques. The word coping refers broadly to this general process of managing difficulty, of which such mechanisms are the specific tools.

In construction, coping refers to the sloped top course of a wall, typically made of stone, brick, or concrete, built to shed rainwater and protect the wall below from moisture damage. This is a distinct, unrelated sense from coping with stress.