dupe

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈdüp 

also ˈdyüp

: one that is easily deceived or cheated : fool

dupe

2 of 4

verb (1)

duped; duping

transitive verb

: to deceive or cheat easily : to make a dupe (see dupe entry 1) of

was duped into buying a counterfeit

duper noun

dupe

3 of 4

noun (2)

plural dupes

informal

: duplicate

This new breed of browsing utility programs can also help you organize the pages you've retrieved, eliminating dupes, throwing out unwanted pages, and storing the useful ones in efficient hierarchies of folders.

—Fortune

"I dropped off the keys … before I left this morning, but I still have a dupe on my key ring."

—Stephen King

dupe

4 of 4

verb (2)

duped; duping; dupes

transitive + intransitive

informal

: duplicate, copy

dupe a disc

The video quality was degraded by repeated duping.

Synonyms of dupe

Noun (1)

• sucker
• patsy
• victim
• tool

Verb (1)

• deceive
• fool
• trick

Noun (2)

• copy
• reproduction
• replica

Examples of dupe in a Sentence

Noun (1)

an explanation of how the swindler was able to escape with all of the dupe's money

Verb (1)

They duped her out of $300.

we were duped into thinking the dummy was a real alien

Noun (2)

he built a dupe of the original model, which is locked in a vault

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

And if anything, the burgeoning business of dupes has upped the desirability of the real thing. —Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 7 May 2026

From pantry staples to freezer finds (and even a little bubbly), these Kirkland Signature dupes deliver the same quality and taste for less. —Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 2 May 2026

Verb

Or the result of a spoiler once again duping POTUS into another quagmire? —Michael Loria, USA Today, 9 May 2026

Or the result of a spoiler once again duping POTUS into another quagmire? —CBS News, 8 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1) and Verb (1)

French, from Middle French duppe, probably alteration of huppe hoopoe

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1681, in the meaning defined above

Verb (1)

1704, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

circa 1900, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1912, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for dupe

• coop
• coupe
• croup
• droop
• drupe
• group
• hoop
• loop
• lupe
• oop
• poop
• roop

Kids Definition

dupe

1 of 2 noun

ˈd(y)üp 

: one who is easily deceived or cheated

dupe

2 of 2 verb

duped; duping

: deceive sense 1, cheat

duper noun