Dope is a noun meaning information or material that is excellent or cool, or slang for drugs; in modern usage, it often refers to something impressive or high-quality. It can also denote a drug or narcotic in informal speech. In some contexts it signals outdated slang, so tone and audience matter. Properly, it labels objects, experiences, or people as notably good or appealing.
"That new album is dope— totally hooked."
"He swore he had dope on the case, but it was just rumors."
"The sneakers you’re wearing look dope; where did you get them?"
"Don’t share that dope on the street, keep it to yourself."
Dope originated in Middle English as a word for thick sauce or gravy. By the 16th century, it shifted to mean “sauce or gravy” in a negative sense, then evolved in African American slang in the early 20th century to mean information or knowledge, and later to refer to drugs (narcotics) associated with illegal usage. In 1960s–1980s American slang, dope became a catch-all term for something excellent or impressive, expanding beyond narcotics to describe music, fashion, or tech—often used in youth culture. The evolution reflects semantic broadening and pejorative or positive connotations depending on context. First known printed use as slang meaning “drugs” appears in the 18th–19th centuries in pirate or criminal vernacular, with modern mainstream acceptance emerging in the late 20th century through hip-hop and youth media. The current informal sense of “very good” is widely recognized in American and global urban slang, though formal writing should avoid marketing or professional contexts where it may seem casual or inappropriate.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Dope" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Dope"
-ope sounds
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Dope is pronounced with a long /oʊ/ vowel followed by a /p/; phonemically /doʊp/. The stress is on a single syllable. In US/UK/AU, your mouth starts with an open-mid back rounded vowel, then closes to a rounded lips /oʊ/ diphthong. End with a voiceless bilabial plosive. Listen for a crisp release; avoid turning the vowel into a flat /oː/ or a quick /ɪ/ before /p/.
Common errors: (1) shortening the /oʊ/ to a lax /o/ or /oɪ/; (2) not voicing the final /p/ clearly, ending with a puff of air; (3) adding a preceding schwa or extra vowel as in /dəʊp/ in some accents. Correction: open your jaw slightly, start with /d/, then glide into the /oʊ/ diphthong before the clean /p/ release; end with a small burst of air without voicing a vowel after the /p/.
US typically uses /doʊp/ with a strong /oʊ/ diphthong; UK tends toward /dəʊp/ with a more centralized onset and a flatter /oʊ/ quality; Australian often aligns with /dəʊp/ but can have a slightly tighter /əʊ/ realization and a less pronounced initial /d/. All cases end with a crisp /p/. Rhoticity does not affect this word since there is no /r/ involved.
The challenge lies in the final voiceless bilabial plosive /p/ after a tense, high-fronted diphthong /oʊ/ that can vary across speakers. Some speakers delay the /p/ release or insert a short schwa, changing the perceived vowel quality. Lip rounding and jaw position must be exact through the glide to the stop to avoid a clipped or swallowed vowel. Focus on finishing with a clean /p/ burst.
Dope has a single stressed syllable, which is not silent; the only phoneme cluster to navigate is the /d/ onset into the /oʊ/ diphthong and the final /p/. There are no silent letters in standard American, UK, or Australian pronunciations. The key is a clean transition: /d/ + /oʊ/ glide + /p/. Avoid adding an extra vowel after the /p/ or diluting the diphthong into /ɔ/ or /ɒ/.
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