Derp: meaning, and the art of the derp face

White husky with its tongue out in a blue stripes bow tie collar and leash

DoggoLingo dictionary

interjection / noun · also: derpy, derp face

derp: A goofy, blank, not-all-there face. Lovingly.

Derp is the goofy moment: the head-on-the-wall stare, the ear flipped inside out, the face that says nobody's home right now. Every dog has one. The best ones are on your camera roll.

In DoggoLingo

“Walked into door. Is fine. Derp.”

Use “derp” in a sentence

Mocha chased the tail, caught the tail, forgot why. Derp.

Derp: the real science

Derp, defined

Derp is an interjection for something foolish or awkward, and a derp face is a blank, goofy expression. [1]

They can read your face too

While you're laughing at the derp, your dog is reading you back: dogs in one study learned to tell happy human faces from angry ones in photos. [2] So laugh kindly.

Derp questions

What does derp mean?

Derp is slang for something foolish or awkward; a derp face is goofy and blank. [1]

Can dogs tell when I'm laughing at them?

Dogs can tell happy human faces from angry ones. [2] Whether they get the joke is another matter.

How we got this

Not veterinary advice. Last reviewed:

The meaning comes from how the word is used online and from slang dictionaries. The science section says only what the linked sources say; we read each one before quoting it. The drawing and example sentences are made up for fun.

Sources

  1. derp. Dictionary.com. Supports: Derp is an interjection for something foolish or awkward; a derp face is blank and goofy.
  2. Müller CA, Schmitt K, Barber ALA, Huber L (2015). Dogs can discriminate emotional expressions of human faces. Current Biology. Supports: Dogs learned to tell happy from angry human faces in photos.

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