… people are promised windfall profits from can't-miss investments—to be paid, when they are paid at all, only out of money collected from subsequent dopes and dupes. David Margolick
2
informal
a
: an illicit drug (such as heroin or cocaine) used for its intoxicating or euphoric effects
: a preparation (such as an anabolic steroid, diuretic, or tranquilizer) given to a racehorse to help or hinder its performance
3
informal: information especially from a reliable source
the inside dope on a celebrity's new romance
4
a
: a thick liquid or pasty preparation
Apply a small amount of pipe dope or Teflon tape to the threads of the adapter … Michael J. McGroarty
b
: a preparation for giving a desired quality to a substance or surface
She … would also glue the canvas over the frames of the planes and then use "dope," a special type of lacquer to harden the body of the plane.The Washington (Indiana) Times-Herald
c
: absorbent or adsorbent material used in various manufacturing processes (such as the making of dynamite)
A dynamite's strength and its water resistance are determined by the dopes—the particular dry ingredients that are combined with the nitroglycerin. Bryan Di Salvatore
It was only when doped with scopolamine that he got any rest. Robert McAlmon and Kay Boyle
b
: to surreptitiously put a sedating drug into
What does the murder have to do with the phone-date service he was investigating when someone doped his drink? Marilyn Stasio
c
: to administer a drug to (a horse) to help or hinder performance in a race
Francis rode a doped horse once. The animal … ran right through the first hurdle, throwing Francis, and veered off into the woods nearby, where it was finally captured hours later. Bill Barich
The following day I returned and spent some time trying to dope out the trails the deer was using. John WeissIt's hard to dope out what, exactly, flavors the lemony, faintly soyish marinade that powers the excellent barbecued chicken … Sam Sifton
Noun They were caught smoking dope. What a dope he is. Verb They tried to dope him. Adjective That movie was so dope. Check out this dope new song.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Whether at the ballpark or at the horse track, Gene Guidi spent 3½ decades providing the inside dope for Free Press readers. Gene Myers, Detroit Free Press, 14 Sep. 2022 Saw The Weeknd and Swedish House Mafia, that was dope. Heran Mamo, Billboard, 15 Aug. 2022 None of his style choices are cool, but Motown is dope. Derek Scancarelli, Forbes, 15 June 2022 Slang in a professional setting can be viewed as inappropriate, and here are the most inappropriate according to those surveyed: WTF (40%), STFU (36%), slaps (33%), dope (33%), fire (30%), dude (28%), yo (27%), WTH (27%), LMFAO (26%), and lit (26%). Chandra Steele, PCMAG, 8 June 2022 Well, my ability to put words together confidently, boldly, unapologetically, dope.Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2022 Founded in 2016 by two dope peruanas, DJ Josephine Figueroa and Monica Campana, La Choloteca builds community through electrocumbia, old-school reggaeton, salsa, and Spanish-language rock and pop. Ashley Garcia Lezcano, refinery29.com, 20 July 2022 So many dope artists from Atlanta — look at EarthGang, look at Andre 3000, look at all of these guys. Nadine Graham, Billboard, 19 July 2022 And while Seth Rogen might have expanded his weed habit into a small business while producing some honestly pretty dope pottery, Pitt also got into the ceramics game. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 22 June 2022
Verb
The undies are super soft and the designs and really dope! Stephanie Dunivan, Essence, 1 Sep. 2022 That should give anyone chills who gives a damn about clean sport, as job pressure is one of the clearest incentives to dope. Joe Lindsey, Outside Online, 28 Feb. 2015 Is there any celebrity, influencer, or generally dope Black woman that would be your dream Hanifa girl? Mia Uzzell, Glamour, 27 July 2022 Is there too much focus on the athletes who dope, rather than on the people or systems that guide the athletes? Dan Weil, WSJ, 12 May 2022 The next year, Maximum Security’s trainer, Jason Servis, was among 27 people charged by federal prosecutors in a wide-ranging scheme to secretly dope horses and cheat the betting public.New York Times, 21 Feb. 2022 The next year, Maximum Security’s trainer, Jason Servis, was among 27 people charged by federal prosecutors in a wide-ranging scheme to secretly dope horses and cheat the betting public.New York Times, 21 Feb. 2022 The next year, Maximum Security’s trainer, Jason Servis, was among 27 people charged by federal prosecutors in a wide-ranging scheme to secretly dope horses and cheat the betting public.New York Times, 21 Feb. 2022 The 97-page report accuses Riis of encouraging his team members—including Tyler Hamilton, Bo Hamburger, Michael Rasmussen, and Jörg Jaksche—to dope. The Editors, Outside Online, 23 June 2015
Adjective
The bride tries to find the most dramatic place to put that sucker so the wedding pics look dope-as-hell. Laura Beck, Cosmopolitan, 11 Sep. 2017 See More
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Dutch doop sauce, from dopen to dip; akin to Old English dyppan to dip