Dupe Meaning: Definition, Examples & Usage

Meaning 1：A person easily tricked or deceived (dupe)

dupe 🔊

/duːp/

A person who is tricked or deceived, believing something that is not true.

Dupe being tricked by a swindler in a market scene

A person easily tricked or deceived 🔊

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/ə ˈpɜːrsən ˈiːzɪli trɪkt ɔːr dɪˈsiːvd/

A dupe is someone who is credulous and falls for scams or lies, often because they trust others too easily.

📁 Category：Social Roles 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From French 'dupe', originally from 'de huppe' (of the hoopoe bird, considered foolish).

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine a 'dupe' wearing a 'dunce' cap—both start with 'du' and mean someone easily fooled.

📖 Example

My brother was such a dupe, he paid a fortune for that 'limited edition' watch which turned out to be a cheap copy. 🔊 My brother was such a dupe, he paid a fortune for that 'limited edition' watch which turned out to be a cheap copy.

🔗 Collocations

fall for a scam like a dupe – To be tricked easily in a fraudulent scheme

make a dupe out of someone – To deceive someone into believing a falsehood

an unsuspecting dupe – A person who is trusting and unaware of being exploited

🔄 Synonyms

gull (n.) – A person who is easily cheated or fooled.

victim (n.) – Someone who suffers from a harmful act, such as deception.

patsy (n.) – A person who is set up to take the blame or be deceived.

🚫 Antonyms

skeptic (n.) – A person who questions claims and is not easily deceived.

swindler (n.) – A person who deceives others, the opposite of the dupe.

🌱 Derivatives

duper (n.) – A person who deceives others.

dupery (n.) – The act or practice of deceiving.

dupeable (adj.) – Capable of being deceived or fooled.

📖 Cultural Story

The word 'dupe' originates from the French phrase 'de huppe', referring to the hoopoe bird, which was thought to be stupid due to its distinctive call. In medieval French comedy, the bird symbolized a gullible person. The term entered English in the 17th century as a noun for someone easily tricked.