opps
/ahps/plural noun
Meaning
Opps is slang for a person, group, or side viewed as an opponent or enemy. In its original hip-hop and drill-rap context, the word could refer to serious real-world rivals; online, it is also used jokingly for anyone causing trouble, blocking a plan, or competing against you.[1]
- 1. People or groups regarded as enemies or hostile rivals.
- 2. An opposing side in a conflict, competition, argument, or feud.
- 3. A humorous label for an annoying person, obstacle, or imagined adversary.
Examples
“The other team is the opps tonight.”
“My opps are just the mosquitoes in this room.”
“The group project had opps in it from day one.”
“She said I was one of her opps for hiding the last slice.”
“Ranked match at eight. Time to send the opps back to the lobby.”
Origin and spread
Opps is generally understood as a shortening related to opposition, with opponent reinforcing the meaning. The modern abbreviated form is associated with African American Vernacular English, hip-hop, and especially Chicago drill. An early documented example appears in Chief Keef’s song “John Madden,” in a YouTube upload dated October 30, 2011. The word became more widely recognizable through drill and rap in the late 2010s, then spread into TikTok, gaming, group chats, and joking internet speech during the 2020s. The older word opposition appears in earlier rap lyrics, but that does not establish the modern slang abbreviation’s first use.[1]
How to use it
Opps is informal and often playful online, especially when aimed at harmless annoyances or friendly competitors. In rap, drill, or discussions of street conflict, it can carry a much more serious meaning and may imply real hostility or violence. Use the plural opps for a group; the singular form is opp.
