duppie

D2U1P3P3I1E1

noun

An urban professional suffering from depression, especially one who has lost a high-paying job and been forced to take up lower-paying work.

Scrabble 11

Meanings

duppie1

nounduppie (plural duppies)

plural duppies

  1. alternativeAlternative spelling of duppy.

duppie2

nounduppie (plural duppies)

plural duppies

  1. An urban professional suffering from depression, especially one who has lost a high-paying job and been forced to take up lower-paying work.

    Older Duppies who've lived through previous layoffs seem prepared for the emotional and financial shifts that a protracted job loss can bring.

    2003 June 17, Leslie Haggin Geary, “Here come the 'Duppies'”, in CNN/Money
    2 more examples

    In recent months, the founder and director of Life Transitions career counseling and life coaching in San Antonio has seen plenty of duppies struggle with escalating debts and depression. "The reality may be that they might have to take on what we call a 'stop-loss job,'" Lincoln says, referring to a lower-paying position the typical duppie once scoffed at.

    2003 July 18, Rene A. Guzman, “Overeducated and underemployed”, in San Antonio Express-News

    In fact, I've seen the term "duppies," which means depressed urban professionals who take jobs at a lower level than their old employment. But, as you recognize, duppies can pass through more hiring portals because they can read.

    2004 April 19, Joyce Lain Kennedy, “Learning To Read Is Essential”, in Sun Sentinel

Origin

duppie · noun

A Caribbean patois word, of West African origin.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

duppie. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/duppie

MLA

“duppie.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/duppie. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “duppie,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/duppie.

Source: duppie on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.