What’s the meaning of couch as a verb?

Couch, when used as a verb, means “communicate something in a particular way.” It often has the implication that someone wants to hide their true motive or avoid offending someone. For example:

  • The writer couched his most controversial point in scientific language so that it would be harder for people to disagree.
  • It is often best to couch criticism with phrases like “have you considered” or “I might suggest.”

QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you make sure you’re using words like couch correctly.