derp
English
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derp
- /dɝp/ US
- /dɜːp/ UK
Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)p
Where it comes from
Probably from dur, a British informal exclamation for “stupid” or from duh, an exclamation indicating faltering speech and assumed stupidity, glottalized for emphasis. Popularized by BASEketball (1998) and "Succubus", a 1999 episode of South Park. See also twerp possibly related to Welsh twp meaning fool.
Derp was used in the movie College Rhythm (1934) to refer to a nerdy or awkward type of person.
interjection
- Draws attention to an act of foolishness or stupidity. I put chips in my soup instead of crackers. Derp.
- A placeholder for unimportant details, blah blah blah. Rob Schneider derp dee derp. Derp dee derpity derpy derp. Until one day, a derp a derp a derp a derp.
verb derps · derping · derped
- To act stupidly or foolishly.
- To make a stupid mistake. Wait, so we're allowed to have magic items from the start? I must of derped pretty hard.
- To have one's eyes pointing in different directions; to exhibit strabismus. Also, there was a Derpy cameo in this one, but she didn't have derped eyes.
noun derps
- A person who acts stupidly or foolishly; a person who derps.
- A stupid mistake, stupidity.
- The constant repeating of an opinion after facts have proved it incorrect, especially as a rhetorical tactic. English has no word for "the constant, repetitive reiteration of strong priors". Yet it is a well-known phenomenon in the world of punditry, debate, and public affairs. On Twitter, we call it "derp".
Talk about this word "derp." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/derp. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. derp. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/derp "derp." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/derp.Cite this
@misc{derp_2026,
title = {derp},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/derp},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
