cope + opium
Copium is an internet slang word. It combines the words “cope” and “opium”. It describes a fake drug that people use in their minds to deal with a loss, a failure, or a hard truth. When someone makes up weak excuses or denies reality because they are sad they lost, people say they are taking or “huffing” copium.
The Meme: It became very famous around 2020 because of a popular drawing of Pepe the Frog breathing from a tank of gas labeled “copium”.