dope out: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low (dated/informal)Informal, somewhat dated slang
Quick answer
What does “dope out” mean?
To figure out, solve, or understand something, often through careful thought or deduction.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To figure out, solve, or understand something, often through careful thought or deduction.
To plan or devise a course of action, especially something clever or ingenious. Historically, also meant to predict a winner in horse racing (slang).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
More historically associated with American slang (early 20th century). In contemporary use, it is rare and equally antiquated in both dialects.
Connotations
In both, it sounds old-fashioned, like 1930s-1950s detective or sports slang.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in modern corpora for both. When used, it's often for stylistic/period effect.
Grammar
How to Use “dope out” in a Sentence
[Subject] dope out [Direct Object] (e.g., He doped out the scheme.)[Subject] dope out [wh-clause] (e.g., She doped out how to fix it.)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “dope out” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Give me a minute to dope out the train schedule.
- The team couldn't dope out their opponent's strategy.
American English
- I need to dope out a way to pay for this.
- He finally doped out what the clue meant.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Never used.
Everyday
Rare, and only in informal speech for humorous or dated effect.
Technical
Not used.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “dope out”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “dope out”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “dope out”
- Using it in formal writing.
- Confusing it with 'dope' as in drugs.
- Using it without an object (needs something to be doped out).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, in this phrasal verb, 'dope' comes from early 20th-century American slang meaning 'information' or 'a stupid person' (with the ironic shift to 'a clever person who has the info'). It is etymologically separate from the drug-related term.
Absolutely not. It is informal, dated slang. Use 'deduce', 'determine', 'figure out', or 'solve' instead.
Yes. You can say 'dope the answer out' or 'dope out the answer'. The non-separated form is more common.
It is largely obsolete in modern speech. You might encounter it in old films, noir novels, or used for a deliberate vintage stylistic effect.
To figure out, solve, or understand something, often through careful thought or deduction.
Dope out is usually informal, somewhat dated slang in register.
Dope out: in British English it is pronounced /ˈdəʊp aʊt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈdoʊp aʊt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine an old detective in a smoky room with a notepad, trying to DOPE OUT the mystery, like figuring out the winning 'dope' (information) from a racing tip sheet.
Conceptual Metaphor
PROBLEM-SOLVING IS DECODING (A PUZZLE OR A CODE).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the closest synonym for 'dope out' as used in the sentence: 'Let's dope out a plan for the weekend.'?