Poe

The word “Poe” means an online post or statement so extreme that readers can't tell if it's sincere or satire. In plain terms, internet slang for a statement or post so extreme it's impossible to tell if it's a joke or genuine.

“Poe” is pronounced poh (/poʊ/ in IPA).

Here is “Poe” used in a sentence: “That rant was such a poe I genuinely couldn't tell if he meant it.”

Depending on how it is used, “Poe” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “Poe” dates back to around 2005. Named after Poe's law, an internet adage (itself named after a 2005 online commenter, not the author Edgar Allan Poe) stating that without clear markers, extreme satire is indistinguishable from sincere extremism.

“Poe” is an uncommon word in modern English.

“Poe” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: an online post or statement so extreme that readers can't tell if it's sincere or satire.

To Poe someone means to write or perform a statement so extreme that readers genuinely cannot tell whether it is sincere or satire. The result, also called a Poe, is a post or comment that convinces some readers it is real even though it was meant as a parody.

Yes, the term comes from Poe's Law, the internet adage that without a clear signal of humor, an extreme parody can be indistinguishable from a genuine extremist statement. A "Poe" is the piece of content that demonstrates that law in action.

Ordinary satire is usually recognizable as exaggeration or mockery, while a Poe is deliberately convincing enough that readers split on whether it is genuine. The defining feature of a Poe is that ambiguity, not just the use of irony.