noun

dope

dohp

noun

(informal) An illegal drug, especially marijuana or heroin.

"Police found a small stash of dope in his jacket."

Inside information, or useful facts about something.

"Give me the dope on the new manager before I meet him."

(informal) A foolish or stupid person.

"Don't be such a dope — read the label first."

adj

(slang) Excellent, impressive, cool.

"That's a dope pair of sneakers."

verb

To give someone drugs, often secretly or illegally, or (in sports) to use banned performance-enhancing drugs.

"The horse had been doped before the race."

"The cyclist was banned after doping to boost his performance."

How to Use Dope

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishDepending on context: an illegal drug, inside information, a fool, or (as slang) something excellent.

Common mistake

Not related to "dopamine" despite the similar spelling.

When to use it

The "cool/excellent" sense is casual slang; avoid in formal writing.

Common pairings

do dope the inside dope dope test

Word Forms

doper comparative, doped past tense, dopes plural, dopes singular, dopest superlative

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Police found a small stash of _____ in his jacket.

Etymology

From Dutch doop, a thick dipping sauce, related to a verb meaning "to dip." The drug sense grew from thick, sticky opium paste; the "cool" slang sense is a later 20th-century development.

Rhymes for dope

ope pope mope rope hope lope nope cope slope grope scope elope

See all rhymes for dope →