What does dope mean?
Dope is an informal English word with several related meanings. Most commonly, it refers to illegal drugs — particularly narcotics such as heroin, or more loosely, marijuana — as in 'he was caught selling dope.' It can also denote information or insider knowledge: journalists and gamblers once spoke of getting 'the dope' on a story or a race, and the phrase 'the real dope' still survives. Applied to a person, calling someone a dope is a mild insult meaning they are foolish or slow-witted. In contemporary American slang, dope has taken on a positive spin, describing anything impressive or cool. As a verb, to dope means to administer a drug, often illegally, as in doping a racehorse or an athlete. The word derives from Dutch doop, meaning sauce or dipping substance, and its modern senses all grew out of the idea of a thick liquid preparation. Because of its strong associations with drugs and informality, dope should generally be avoided in formal contexts.
An illegal drug, especially a narcotic such as heroin, or, loosely, marijuana.
"Police seized a quantity of dope during the raid."
Informal and slightly dated compared with neutral terms like 'drugs'; strongly associated with addiction-era vocabulary.
Information or inside knowledge about something.
"She gave me the dope on how the negotiations were really going."
Somewhat dated American usage; persists in fixed phrases like 'the real dope' and 'dope sheet'.
A stupid or slow-witted person (informal, derogatory).
"Only a dope would leave the door unlocked with the safe wide open."
Mildly insulting; usually used teasingly rather than maliciously.
To administer a drug to a person or animal, especially illicitly or to enhance performance.
"Trainers who dope their horses face lengthy bans."
Common in sports contexts; gives rise to the terms 'doping' and 'dope test'.
The plural is rare because dope is usually uncountable when referring to drugs or information. It appears mainly in the sense of 'stupid people' or occasionally for varieties/preparations of the substance.
"The comedy sketch pokes fun at a pair of dopes who try to rob a bank with a toy gun."
Before it meant drugs or 'awesome,' dope was literally the sauce you dipped food into — and it gave horse-racing its 'dope sheet.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dope
Dope entered English in the early nineteenth century from Dutch doop, meaning 'sauce' or 'dipping,' itself related to the verb dopen, 'to dip.' Its earliest English uses referred to thick liquid preparations, including gravies and later technical mixtures such as varnish and engine fuel additives. By the late nineteenth century the word had extended to opium and other narcotics, presumably via the viscous form of prepared opium, and from there to the senses of drugging a competitor and of a drug-addled fool. The information sense arose separately in American slang, likely through the idea of specialized or 'inside' knowledge, while the positive slang meaning emerged in hip-hop culture in the late twentieth century.
Related word forms
How dope is actually used
'Dope' is firmly informal and, when referring to drugs, carries connotations of illegality and addiction rather than clinical neutrality. Calling a person a dope is mildly insulting but usually light-hearted. The slang sense meaning 'excellent' is American, generational (strongest among younger speakers), and out of place in formal writing. The information sense is somewhat dated but survives in phrases like 'the real dope' and 'dope sheet.'
Easily confused with dope
'Dupe' means a person who is easily deceived or to deceive someone, while 'dope' refers to drugs, information, or (informally) a stupid person.