1
informal
: a stupid person
I think fast drivers are dopes.—
Randy Wayne White
Randy Wayne White… 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
David Margolick2
informal
a
: an illicit drug (such as heroin or cocaine) used for its intoxicating or euphoric effects
b
: 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
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
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
Bryan Di Salvatore5
chiefly Southern US
: a cola drink
doped; doping
1
informal
a
: to give a narcotic or intoxicating drug to
It was only when doped with scopolamine that he got any rest.—Robert McAlmon and Kay Boyle
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
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
Bill Barich2
informal
: figure out
—usually used with out
The following day I returned and spent some time trying to dope out the trails the deer was using.—John Weiss
John WeissIt's hard to dope out what, exactly, flavors the lemony, faintly soyish marinade that powers the excellent barbecued chicken …—Sam Sifton
Sam Sifton3
: to treat with dope or a dopant
The airfoil leading edge and ribs are fiberglass moldings, and the skin, as on early airplanes, is fabric doped to drum-tightness.—David Scott
David ScottWe developed a method to dope semiconductor nanocrystals with metal impurities, enabling control of the band gap …—David Mocatta et al.
David Mocatta et al.1
informal
: to take an intoxicating drug
2
informal
: to use a performance-enhancing substance typically banned for use in sports
A week after that surreal scene, Danish hero Bjarne Riis admitted that he'd doped to win the 1996 Tour France Riis …—Austin Murphy
Austin MurphySynonyms
Noun
Verb
- answer
- break
- crack
- figure out
- puzzle (out)
- resolve
- riddle (out)
- solve
- unravel
- unriddle
- work
- work out
Adjective
- A-OK
- A1
- awesome
- bang-up
- banner
- beautiful
- blue-chip
- blue-ribbon
- boffo
- bonny [chiefly British]
- bonnie
- boss [slang]
- brag
- brave
- bully
- bumper
- capital
- choice
- classic
- cool [slang]
- corking
- crackerjack
- cracking
- dandy
- divine
- down [slang]
- dynamite
- excellent
- fab
- fabulous
- famous
- fantabulous [slang]
- fantastic
- fine
- first-class
- first-rate
- first-string
- five-star
- four-star
- frontline
- gangbusters
- gangbuster
- gilt-edged
- gilt-edge
- gone [slang]
- grand
- great
- groovy
- heavenly
- high-class
- hot
- hype [slang]
- immense
- jim-dandy
- keen
- lovely
- marvelous
- marvellous
- mean
- neat
- nifty
- noble
- number one
- No. 1
- numero uno
- out-of-sight [slang]
- par excellence
- peachy
- peachy keen
- phat [slang]
- prime
- primo [slang]
- prize
- prizewinning
- quality
- radical [slang]
- righteous [slang]
- sensational
- slick
- splendid
- stellar
- sterling
- superb
- superior
- superlative
- supernal
- swell
- terrific
- tip-top
- top
- top-notch
- top-of-the-line
- top-shelf
- topflight
- topping [chiefly British]
- unsurpassed
- wizard [chiefly British]
- wonderful
Examples of dope in a Sentence
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 WebMichelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
The agents recruited an undercover informant — a local resident whom Chen paid $2,500 and a pound of dope a month to appear on registration documents and medical marijuana licenses as majority owner of his farms, court records say.
—Sebastian Rotella, ProPublica, 22 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dope 
Noun
No dope on college campuses, even if voters give the OK to recreational marijuana.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
The agents recruited an undercover informant — a local resident whom Chen paid $2,500 and a pound of dope a month to appear on registration documents and medical marijuana licenses as majority owner of his farms, court records say.
—Sebastian Rotella, ProPublica, 22 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dope
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dope.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near dope
Cite this Entry
“Dope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dope. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dope
2 of 2 verb
doped; doping
1
: to treat or affect with dope
especially
: to give a narcotic to
2
: find out
—usually used with out
Medical Definition
dope
1 of 2 noun1
a
: a preparation of an illicit, habit-forming, or narcotic drug (as opium, heroin, or marijuana)
b
: a preparation given to a racehorse to help or hinder its performance
2
: a narcotic addict
dope
2 of 2 verb
doped; doping
: to give a narcotic to
: to take dope
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