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

Keep scrolling for more bags that are dupes of the Prada Buckle Bag, the Cult Gaia beaded clutch, the Miu Miu Wander, and more! — Kim Grundy, Southern Living, 20 July 2026

Additionally, our commerce writers and editors have previously covered blind boxes and Labubus, including where to buy them and the best Labubu dupes. — Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 16 July 2026

Verb

Instead, Lukas quite testily explains that the video the Outsiders have seen of a pristine environment outside the silo is in fact a fake, fed into the Cleaners’ helmets to dupe them into cleaning. — Noel Murray, Vulture, 24 July 2026

Beside tourists and even New Yorkers being duped, the thousands of fewer official tickets being sold each day is costing NPS and NYC money. — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 15 June 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