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Glite Dictionary
2️⃣ A small number 2️⃣ A few
a couple of

a couple of

144 1.0
A small number of things or people, usually two but sometimes a few
  • idiom
translation icon : un par de
  • I have a couple of friends coming over for dinner tonight.
  • a couple of days
  • a couple of years
  • a couple of years ago

Examples

  • But I'm just gonna be gone for a couple of hours, okay?

    About Cherry (2012)

  • I'll be back in the office in a couple of days.

    A Good Year (2006)

  • It's been a couple of hours and I will check in in a few.

  • Gentlemen, can you give us a couple of minutes alone, please?

    Rescue Dawn (2007)

  • I invited him to stay for a couple of days.

    Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986)

  • Before we begin, I'd like to suggest a couple of ground rules.

    Academic text (1991)

  • Nobody ever gets through the holidays without at least a couple of disasters.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • It should only be a couple of days.

    Tron (1982)

  • Tom checked his watch, saw he only had a couple of minutes left, and decided he'd had enough.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • They'd spoken only a couple of times on the way home.

    Fiction book (2001)

Synonyms

few
vsa couple of
∞ 1.0

A small number of people or things

is used more neutrally and often implies roughly two rather than scarcity
a few
vsa couple of
∞ 1.0

A small number of people or things, more than one but not many

is usually for about two rather than a somewhat larger small number
couple
vsa couple of
∞ 1.0

A small number of people or things, not many

is used for about two rather than a larger indefinite amount
handful
vsa couple of
81 1.0

An amount you can hold in one hand

is a small numeric estimate, usually about two not a physical measure

Antonyms

many
9 1.0

A large number of people or things you can count

How Many

numerous
432 2.0
many
9 1.0
several
∞ 1.0
a few
∞ 1.0
a couple of
144 1.0
one
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

a couple of positive

Morphology

a + couple + of

The meaning is directly compositional: 'couple' means a small number and the determiners 'a' + 'of' form the noun phrase 'a couple of' to indicate that small number (typically two, sometimes a few). This construction is grammatically regular and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning, though pragmatic looseness about exact numerosity may require occasional exposure.

Etymology

A couple of comes from the idea of a couple, meaning two things joined together like a pair. So it usually means 'two', and in everyday speech it can also mean 'a few'.