plural mopeds
: a lightweight, low-powered motorbike that can be pedaled
The difference between a moped and a scooter is like the difference between an economy car and full-sized coupe. A scooter has comfy footrests instead of pedals and a luxurious seat seemingly long enough to accommodate a family of four.—
Kelly Whiteside
Kelly Whiteside
broadly
: any low-powered motorbike
The Motorman may fit the legal definition of a moped, but it has no pedals. The drivetrain is fully electric. —Rene Chun
Rene Chun A moped is defined as either a pedal bicycle with a helper motor or a non-pedal bicycle with a motor, which has all of the following characteristics: Have a cylinder capacity of no more than 50 cubic centimeters. Have an automatic transmission. Be capable of a maximum speed of no more than 30 miles per hour. Comply with all applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards. —Mass.gov
Mass.gov moped
2 of 2past tense of mope entry 1
Examples of moped in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jennifer Ludden, NPR, 22 Aug. 2025
The second man, who was dressed all in black including a sweatshirt with the Gap logo on front, fled on a black moped south on Amsterdam Ave.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 18 Aug. 2025
The movie’s bravura action sequence (edited by Lee regular Barry Brown) takes King, carrying $17.5 million Swiss francs in a Michael Jordan black bag, onto the 6 train from Borough Hall to the Bronx, as the NYPD chase down a series of mopeds that will intercept him.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2025
The Suzuki fell onto its side and slid into a 42-year-old Willimantic man and another person as they were stopped near a driveway on a KTM motorcycle and a Vitacci moped, respectively, state police said.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for moped
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
The usual crush of delivery drivers on mopeds outside a Chipotle restaurant have disappeared.
—Jennifer Ludden, NPR, 22 Aug. 2025
The second man, who was dressed all in black including a sweatshirt with the Gap logo on front, fled on a black moped south on Amsterdam Ave.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 18 Aug. 2025
The movie’s bravura action sequence (edited by Lee regular Barry Brown) takes King, carrying $17.5 million Swiss francs in a Michael Jordan black bag, onto the 6 train from Borough Hall to the Bronx, as the NYPD chase down a series of mopeds that will intercept him.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2025
The Suzuki fell onto its side and slid into a 42-year-old Willimantic man and another person as they were stopped near a driveway on a KTM motorcycle and a Vitacci moped, respectively, state police said.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for moped
Cite this Entry
“Moped.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moped. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
moped
noun
mo·ped
ˈmō-ˌped 
: a lightweight low-powered motorbike that can be pedaled
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share