Dope vs. Cool — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on May 18, 2024
Dope is slang for something excellent or exciting, often related to street culture, while cool describes something stylish, appealing, or impressive, broadly accepted across different contexts.
Difference Between Dope and Cool
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Dope refers to something that is exceptionally good, exciting, or fashionable. It's often used in urban and youth culture to describe music, fashion, or events that stand out for their excellence. Cool, on the other hand, describes something stylish, appealing, or generally impressive. It has a broader usage and is more universally accepted in various contexts.
While dope is more specific to certain subcultures and can sometimes carry connotations related to drug culture, cool is more versatile and widely understood. Cool can describe a wide range of things from a person’s demeanor to objects and activities, indicating they are desirable or impressive.
Dope is often associated with contemporary trends and can quickly become outdated as slang evolves. Cool has a timeless quality and remains relevant regardless of changing trends, making it a more enduring compliment.
In casual conversation, using dope might imply a connection to modern, urban slang, whereas using cool tends to be more universally relatable and understood across different age groups and backgrounds.
Comparison Chart
Meaning
Excellent, exciting, fashionable
Stylish, appealing, impressive
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Connotation
Contemporary, urban, sometimes drug-related
Timeless, universally positive
Usage Context
Urban culture, youth slang
Broad, various contexts
Longevity
Trendy, can become outdated
Enduring, timeless
Examples
That new track is dope
She has a cool demeanor
Compare with Definitions
Dope
Excellent or outstanding.
The concert last night was dope!
Cool
Stylish or fashionable.
That jacket looks really cool.
Dope
A drug taken illegally for recreational purposes, especially cannabis
Police arrested a protester for smoking dope
Cool
Impressive or excellent.
The movie was cool.
Dope
A stupid person
Though he wasn't an intellectual giant, he was no dope either
Cool
Socially acceptable or admirable.
He's a cool guy.
Dope
Information about a subject, especially if not generally known
Our reviewer will give you the dope on hot spots around the town
Cool
Neither warm nor very cold; moderately cold
Fresh, cool water.
A cool autumn evening.
Dope
A varnish formerly applied to fabric surfaces of aircraft to strengthen them and keep them airtight.
Cool
Giving or suggesting relief from heat
A cool breeze.
A cool blouse.
Dope
Administer drugs to (a racehorse, greyhound, or athlete) in order to inhibit or enhance sporting performance
The horse was doped before the race
Cool
Marked by calm self-control
A cool negotiator.
Dope
Smear or cover with varnish or other thick liquid
She doped the surface with photographic emulsion
Cool
Marked by indifference, disdain, or dislike; unfriendly or unresponsive
A cool greeting.
Was cool to the idea of higher taxes.
Dope
Add an impurity to (a semiconductor) to produce a desired electrical characteristic.
Cool
Of, relating to, or characteristic of colors, such as blue and green, that produce the impression of coolness.
Dope
Very good
That suit is dope!
Cool
Knowledgeable or aware of the latest trends or developments
Spent all his time trying to be cool.
Dope
A narcotic, especially an addictive narcotic.
Cool
Excellent; first-rate
Has a cool sports car.
Had a cool time at the party.
Dope
Narcotics considered as a group.
Cool
Acceptable; satisfactory
It's cool if you don't want to talk about it.
Dope
An illicit drug, especially marijuana.
Cool
(Slang) Entire; full
Worth a cool million.
Dope
A narcotic preparation used to stimulate a racehorse.
Cool
(Informal) In a casual manner; nonchalantly
Play it cool.
Dope
(Informal) A stupid person; a dolt.
Cool
To make less warm.
Dope
(Informal) Factual information, especially of a private nature.
Cool
To make less ardent, intense, or zealous
Problems that soon cooled my enthusiasm for the project.
Dope
(Chemistry) An absorbent or adsorbent material used in certain manufacturing processes, such as the nitroglycerin used in making dynamite.
Cool
(Physics) To reduce the molecular or kinetic energy of (an object).
Dope
A type of lacquer formerly used to protect, waterproof, and tauten the cloth surfaces of airplane wings.
Cool
To become less warm
Took a dip to cool off.
Dope
Chiefly Southern US A carbonated soft drink containing an extract of the kola nut and other flavorings.
Cool
To become calmer
Needed time for tempers to cool.
Dope
Lower Northern US Syrup or sweet sauce poured on ice cream.
Cool
A cool place, part, or time
The cool of early morning.
Dope
To administer a narcotic to
Was doped up for the operation.
Cool
The state or quality of being cool.
Dope
To add a narcotic to
They doped his drink before robbing him.
Cool
Composure; poise
"Our release marked a victory. The nation had kept its cool" (Moorhead Kennedy).
Dope
To administer a performance-enhancing substance to (an athlete).
Cool
Having a slightly low temperature; mildly or pleasantly cold.
Dope
To subject (an athlete) to blood doping.
Cool
Allowing or suggesting heat relief.
Linen has made cool and breathable clothing for millennia.
Dope
(Electronics) To treat (a semiconductor) with a dopant.
Cool
Of a color, in the range of violet to green.
If you have a reddish complexion, you should mainly wear cool colors.
Dope
To take narcotics or a performance-enhancing substance.
Cool
Of a person, not showing emotion; calm and in control of oneself.
Dope
To engage in blood doping.
Cool
Unenthusiastic, lukewarm, skeptical.
His proposals had a cool reception.
Dope
Excellent; outstanding.
Cool
Calmly audacious.
In control as always, he came up with a cool plan.
Dope
(uncountable) Any viscous liquid or paste, such as a lubricant, used in preparing a surface.
Cool
Applied facetiously to a sum of money, commonly as if to give emphasis to the largeness of the amount.
Dope
(uncountable) An absorbent material used to hold a liquid.
Cool
(informal) Of a person, knowing what to do and how to behave; considered popular by others.
Dope
Any varnish used to coat a part, such as an airplane wing or a hot-air balloon in order to waterproof, strengthen, etc.
Cool
(informal) In fashion and fancy, part of or befitting the most leading trends and habits of the in crowd; originally hipster slang.
Dope
Any of various recreational substances:
Cool
(informal) Of an action, all right; acceptable; that does not present a problem.
Is it cool if I sleep here tonight?
Dope
Information, usually from an inside source, originally in horse racing and other sports.
What's the latest dope on the stock market?
Cool
(informal) Very interesting or exciting.
I think astronomy is really cool.
Dope
Ballistic data on previously fired rounds, used to calculate the required hold over a target.
Cool
(informal) (followed by with) Able to tolerate; to be fine with.
I'm completely cool with my girlfriend leaving me.
Dope
A stupid person.
Cool
(informal) (of a pair of people) holding no grudge against one another; having no beef.
We're cool, right?
Dope
Dessert topping.
Cool
(sarcastic) (of an act or situation)'' annoying, irritating.
Dope
To affect with drugs.
Cool
A moderate or refreshing state of cold; moderate temperature of the air between hot and cold; coolness.
In the cool of the morning
Dope
(transitive) To treat with dope (lubricant, etc.).
Cool
A calm temperament.
Dope
To add a dopant such as arsenic to (a pure semiconductor such as silicon).
Cool
The property of being cool, popular or in fashion.
Dope
To use drugs; especially, to use prohibited performance-enhancing drugs in sporting competitions.
Cool
To lose heat, to get colder.
I like to let my tea cool before drinking it so I don't burn my tongue.
Dope
To judge or guess; to predict the result of.
Cool
To make cooler, less warm.
Dope
(slang) Amazing; cool.
That party was dope!
Cool
To become less intense, e.g. less amicable or passionate.
Relations cooled between the USA and the USSR after 1980.
Dope
Any thick liquid or pasty preparation, as of opium for medicinal purposes, of grease for a lubricant, etc.
Cool
To make less intense, e.g. less amicable or passionate.
Dope
Any preparation, as of opium, used to stupefy or, in the case of a race horse, to stimulate.
Cool
(transitive) To kill.
Dope
An absorbent material; esp., in high explosives, the sawdust, infusorial earth, mica, etc., mixed with nitroglycerin to make a damp powder (dynamite, etc.) less dangerous to transport, and ordinarily explosive only by suitable fulminating caps.
Cool
Moderately cold; between warm and cold; lacking in warmth; producing or promoting coolness.
Fanned with cool winds.
Dope
Information concerning the previous performances of race horses, or other facts concerning them which may be of assistance in judging of their chances of winning future races; similar information concerning other sports; by extension, any information not generally known, especially when coming from an inside source; as, the inside dope.
Cool
Not ardent, warm, fond, or passionate; not hasty; deliberate; exercising self-control; self-possessed; dispassionate; indifferent; as, a cool lover; a cool debater.
For a patriot, too cool.
Dope
An ignorant or stupid person.
Cool
Not retaining heat; light; as, a cool dress.
Dope
To treat or affect with dope; as, to dope nitroglycerin;
Cool
Manifesting coldness or dislike; chilling; apathetic; as, a cool manner.
Dope
To judge or guess; to predict the result of, as by the aid of dope.
Cool
Quietly impudent; negligent of propriety in matters of minor importance, either ignorantly or willfully; presuming and selfish; audacious; as, cool behavior.
Its cool stare of familiarity was intolerable.
Dope
To impregnate with a dopant.
Cool
Applied facetiously, in a vague sense, to a sum of money, commonly as if to give emphasis to the largeness of the amount.
He had lost a cool hundred.
Leaving a cool thousand to Mr. Matthew Pocket.
Dope
Street names for marijuana
Cool
A moderate state of cold; coolness; - said of the temperature of the air between hot and cold; as, the cool of the day; the cool of the morning or evening.
Dope
An ignorant or foolish person
Cool
To make cool or cold; to reduce the temperature of; as, ice cools water.
Send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue.
Dope
Carbonated drink flavored with extract from Kola nuts (`dope' is a southernism in the United States)
Cool
To moderate the heat or excitement of; to allay, as passion of any kind; to calm; to moderate.
We have reason to cool our raging motions, our carnal stings, our unbitted lusts.
Dope
Slang terms for inside information;
Is that the straight dope?
Cool
To become less hot; to lose heat.
I saw a smith stand with his hammer, thus,the whilst his iron did on the anvil cool.
Dope
Take drugs to improve one's athletic performance
Cool
To lose the heat of excitement or passion; to become more moderate.
I will not give myself liberty to think, lest I should cool.
Dope
Add impurities to (a semiconductor) in order to produce or modify its properties;
The resistors have been doped
Cool
The quality of being cool;
The cool of early morning
Dope
Give a narcotic to;
The athletes were dope by the coach before the race
Cool
Great coolness and composure under strain;
Keep your cool
Dope
Trendy or fashionable.
Those sneakers are dope.
Cool
Make cool or cooler;
Chill the food
Dope
Impressive in quality.
He has a dope collection of vinyl records.
Cool
Loose heat;
The air cooled considerably after the thunderstorm
Dope
Exciting or thrilling.
That ride was dope!
Cool
Lose intensity;
His enthusiasm cooled considerably
Dope
Often used in street culture or among youth.
His dance moves are dope.
Cool
Neither warm or very cold; giving relief from heat;
A cool autumn day
A cool room
Cool summer dresses
Cool drinks
A cool breeze
Cool
Marked by calm self-control (especially in trying circumstances); unemotional;
Play it cool
Keep cool
Stayed coolheaded in the crisis
The most nerveless winner in the history of the tournament
Cool
(color) inducing the impression of coolness; used especially of greens and blues and violets;
Cool greens and blues and violets
Cool
Psychologically cool and unenthusiastic; unfriendly or unresponsive or showing dislike;
Relations were cool and polite
A cool reception
Cool to the idea of higher taxes
Cool
Used of a number or sum and meaning without exaggeration or qualification;
A cool million bucks
Cool
Fashionable and attractive at the time; often skilled or socially adept;
He's a cool dude
That's cool
Mary's dress is really cool
It's not cool to arrive at a party too early
Cool
Calm and composed.
She stayed cool under pressure.
Cool
Generally positive and appealing.
The party last night was cool.
Common Curiosities
What does 'cool' mean?
Cool refers to something stylish, appealing, or impressive.
Is 'cool' universally understood?
Yes, cool is widely understood and used across various contexts.
Is 'cool' a recent slang term?
No, cool has been used for decades and remains relevant.
Can 'dope' become outdated?
Yes, as slang evolves, dope can become outdated.
Does 'cool' have a lasting appeal?
Yes, cool has a timeless quality and lasting appeal.
Is 'dope' more specific to any culture?
Yes, dope is often used in urban and youth culture.
What is an example of 'dope' in a sentence?
e.g., That new video game is dope.
What does 'dope' mean?
Dope means something excellent, exciting, or fashionable.
Can 'dope' refer to drugs?
Yes, dope can also refer to drugs, but in slang, it means something excellent.
Does 'dope' imply a certain attitude?
Yes, it often implies a trendy or edgy attitude.
Can 'cool' be used in professional contexts?
Yes, cool can be used in both casual and professional contexts.
Does 'dope' always have a positive connotation?
In slang, yes, but when referring to drugs, it can be negative.
What is an example of 'cool' in a sentence?
e.g., His new car is really cool.
Can 'cool' describe demeanor?
Yes, cool can describe someone’s calm and composed demeanor.
Is 'dope' commonly used in media?
Yes, it's often used in music, fashion, and pop culture.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
