moping 1 of 2

adjective

as in brooding

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moping

2 of 2

verb

present participle of mope
1
as in lingering
to move or act slowly we were in a rush, and the Sunday driver in front of us was just moping along

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pouting
to silently go about in a bad mood she's been moping all weekend because her boyfriend hasn't called even once

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of moping
Verb
Duke, whose time in the pub is spent either moping or getting hyped up by his aunt Kaulo doing her best Lady Macbeth. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026 In other words, if Hollywood had an awards show for public corruption trials, this case would be at home watching it and moping that it didn’t get nominated. — Susan Shelley, Oc Register, 1 Feb. 2026 Koko storms off and spends the rest of the evening moping about the interaction. — Jihan Forbes, Allure, 29 Oct. 2025 In June the McCoys went back to Bloomington and Catherine spent the summer moping. — Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025 One week, a colleague noticed Packard moping around the office and asked what was wrong. — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025 Rather than moping about, get your shop on with one or all of these many holiday sales. — Averi Baudler, People.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moping
  1. brooding
  2. lingering
  3. pouting
  4. irritable
  5. dragging
  6. sulking
  7. petulant
  8. delaying
Adjective
  • Alvarez was a fan of the brooding, vulnerable bedroom pop that had turned the then-20-year-old, born David Anthony Burke, into a Gen Z sensation.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026
  • What results is a darker Spider-Man – not the brooding or grim sense of a Batman movie, but displaying the gravity that comes with the burden of responsibility.
    — Ken Makin, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of brooding
Verb
  • In astrology, Venus governs love, pleasure, money, relationships and values, while Pluto exposes what’s lingering beneath the surface.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Any lingering hope that Netanyahu could be convinced to take part in such an endeavor now looks for the birds.
    — Andrew Carey, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of lingering
Verb
  • Some people will probably be pouting in those debriefs.
    — Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
  • My introduction to Peters came late last year, when Instagram’s algorithm served me a video of him wearing a baseball cap, primping and pouting for the camera.
    — Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026
Definition of pouting
Adjective
  • Whether a balanced market can be achieved with competing cartels will be an interesting experiment in a sometimes-irritable trade relationship.
    — Tim Treadgold, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Just as Depp made to exit the stage, a haunting voice came over the speaker, eerily repeating the irritable man’s name.
    — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 23 July 2026
Definition of irritable
Verb
  • That wider perspective matters, because sovereignty isn't achieved simply by dragging every service into the spare room.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The video opens with Itami dragging a half-conscious Burke by his legs and delivering him to a young couple on a crime spree.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of dragging
Verb
  • But nothing good came from sulking.
    — Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 19 May 2026
  • With that goal in mind, Dijkstra has constructed a scheme to ensure that King Radovid stops drinking and sulking over Jaskier and embraces his role as one of the few remaining leaders who can oppose Emhyr’s army.
    — Scott Meslow, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
Definition of sulking
Adjective
  • Lou Reed modeled the sort of petulant sing-talking that characterizes her verses.
    — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
  • But while Argentina was being petty and petulant, Spain was practically perfect in every way.
    — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of petulant
Verb
  • Sacramento Regional Transit will adjust six bus routes beginning Sunday, including delaying departure times and eliminating one early-morning trip from Florin.
    — Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The discovery prevented the plane from being moved on schedule, delaying a flight and forcing JetBlue to use a different aircraft instead, according to the affidavit, an interruption estimated to cost the airline over $2,400.
    — Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of delaying

Browse Nearby Words

mopey
moping
mopped
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Cite this Entry

“Moping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moping. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of moping for Spanish Speakers

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