Mope Sits Between Sulking and Sadness
To mope is to move about listlessly and dejectedly. The word is probably imitative in origin.
To mope is to drift about in a dull, dejected state, doing little and showing it. The word carries a hint of criticism that plain sadness does not: you mope when the observer thinks the gloom is disproportionate or self-indulgent, which is why it fits a teenager and not a mourner. That judgement is built into the verb, not added by tone. Its origin is uncertain, probably imitative or from a Scandinavian source; an early sense was to move aimlessly or be in a daze.
- To be listlessly gloomy. *Moping about.*
- A dejected person. *A mope.*
- Mopey — inclined to mope. *Mopey.*
- To sulk — a near relative. *To sulk.*
- Uncertain origin. *Perhaps imitative.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | mope | Moping. |
| Past | moped | Moped. |
| Noun | mope | A mope. |
| Adjective | mopey | Mopey. |
| Related | mopish | Mopish. |
- He moped around the house.Behaviour.
- Stop moping.Rebuke.
- She was in a mopey mood.Adjective.
Shades of low spirits
- Mope — listless gloom, faintly disapproved of
- Sulk — silent resentment aimed at someone
- Brood — to dwell on something at length
- Grieve — deep sorrow over a real loss
- Pine — to waste away from longing
Origin uncertain, recorded from the 1500s, possibly imitative or from a Scandinavian source.
Is moping the same as being sad?
Not quite. Mope implies the gloom is visible and, in the speaker's view, out of proportion, which sadness does not.
What is the difference between moping and sulking?
Sulking is resentment directed at a person; moping is a general listlessness with no particular target.