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
  • While gathering material in southern Ukraine, Carrère travels with a group of Ukrainian soldiers, one of whom, a brooding young man named Serhiy, reminds him of a character from a Dostoyevsky novel.
    — Madeleine Wulfahrt, New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Charles is dark and brooding, but proficient in manly pursuits.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of brooding
Verb
  • The results raised long-standing concerns over the quality of work and whether the lingering contamination could present risks to the residents.
    — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
  • An upper-level low moving overhead could produce a few lingering showers north of I-78, especially in the Poconos and far northern New Jersey, but Philadelphia and most of South Jersey should stay dry.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of lingering
Verb
  • During the first day of the charter, Sandy notices that Nathan is punishing Joe for pouting in the previous charter, which wins her over to Joe’s side.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Kardashian was snapped sitting in front of the pair, pouting while flashing a peace sign at the camera during a break from filming.
    — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of pouting
Adjective
  • Murray says her own experience has made her more understanding when female colleagues seem more tired or irritable than usual, particularly when the behavior is out of character.
    — Jo Ann Liguori, Flow Space, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Could be because for much of the running time, Abrams’ Jay Gardiner is up against what looks like a very large irritable sphincter.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of irritable
Verb
  • Difficulties dragging the Tyler Technologies project over the finish line dogged Preckwinkle throughout the primary.
    — A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2026
  • After years of dragging friends through intense physical activities—zip-lining, gymnastics, pole, and even aerial skills—a game show felt like a lighter option, something everyone could enjoy.
    — Chanté Joseph, Vogue, 4 Nov. 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
  • Instead of headline-making beefs that stand the test of time, today’s critics might be the subject of a petulant DM or a horde-summoning quote tweet.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Trowbridge is a petulant blowhard, and has been such a fun foil to Kate over the years.
    — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of petulant
Verb
  • Californians have kept our end of that bargain, but insurance companies have broken their side of the promise by denying, delaying and underpaying valid claims and dropping coverage.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The tool has been blamed by doctors and patients for delaying necessary care.
    — Berkeley Lovelace Jr, NBC news, 5 Nov. 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 10 Nov. 2026.

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