Coup de grâce

A coup de grâce (/ˌkuː də ˈɡrɑːs/; French [ku də ɡʁɑs] for "blow of mercy") is a death blow to end the suffering of a severely wounded person or animal. It may be a mercy killing of civilians or soldiers, friends or enemies, with or without the sufferer's consent. The phrase may also refer to the final event that causes a figurative death: The business had been struggling for years. The sharp jump in oil prices was the coup de grâce. The final /s/ is sometimes omitted, as a hyperforeignism.

Coup de grâce

A coup de grâce (/ˌkuː də ˈɡrɑːs/; French [ku də ɡʁɑs] for "blow of mercy") is a death blow to end the suffering of a severely wounded person or animal. It may be a mercy killing of civilians or soldiers, friends or enemies, with or without the sufferer's consent. The phrase may also refer to the final event that causes a figurative death: The business had been struggling for years. The sharp jump in oil prices was the coup de grâce. The final /s/ is sometimes omitted, as a hyperforeignism.