mope

1 of 2

verb

moped; moping

intransitive verb

1
: to give oneself up to brooding : become listless or dejected
I was feeling depressed and just moped around all day.
2
: to move slowly or aimlessly : dawdle
the little woman does mope along in trafficPaul Jones
3
archaic : to act in a dazed or stupid manner
moper noun
mopey adjective

mope

2 of 2

noun

1
: one that mopes
2
mopes plural : blues sense 1

Examples of mope in a Sentence

Verb Like a little child, he often moped when he didn't get what he wanted. we were in a rush, and the Sunday driver in front of us was just moping along Noun he's got the mopes because his girlfriend is mad at him
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
My Mexican hillbilly family never had time to whine and mope. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2024 Meanwhile, that very good actor Anthony Ramos is put in the awkward position of having to mope around as Javi, who has a one-sided crush on Kate. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 July 2024
Noun
Rather than sit around and mope, the future queen and some girlfriends went on vacation to the Spanish island of Ibiza. Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 29 July 2024 The Boys retreat to a bar to drink away their battle wounds, where Hughie mopes about failing to neutralize the assassin while Annie placates a fan who forces a selfie with her. Alex Raiman, EW.com, 11 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for mope 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mope.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

probably from obsolete mop, mope fool

First Known Use

Verb

1568, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Noun

1693, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mope was in 1568

Dictionary Entries Near mope

Cite this Entry

“Mope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mope. Accessed 6 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

mope

1 of 2 verb
moped; moping
1
: to be in a dull and gloomy state
2
: to move slowly and aimlessly : dawdle
moper noun

mope

2 of 2 noun
1
: a person who lacks energy or enthusiasm
2
plural : low spirits : blues
a fit of the mopes

More from Merriam-Webster on mope

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