mopey

Or mop·y

[moh-pee]

adjective

mopier, mopiest 

1. languishing, listless, droopy, or glum.

Other Word Forms

• mopiness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of mopey¹

First recorded in 1820–30; mope + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Park plays with Man-su’s crippling pride, which keeps him mopey and unwilling to consider part-time work.

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The second and arguably more interesting notion Park plays with is Man-su’s crippling pride, which keeps him mopey and unwilling to consider part-time work.

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But “Bodkin,” created by Jez Scharf and executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama, among others, takes more inspiration from mopey foreign murder shows.

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Among his many signature roles: a lovesick swain so dazzled by his beloved that he moves as if in a dream, in Jean-Christophe Maillot’s “Roméo et Juliette”; an electric-limbed loner in a hoodie in Marco Goecke’s punishing contemporary solo “Mopey”; a jazzy curlicue of a man awaiting his own New Orleans funeral in Twyla Tharp’s “Waiting at the Station”; a highflying sailor, all looseness and young joy, in Jerome Robbins’ “Fancy Free.”

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Reflecting on favorite roles, Moore singled out many, but noted that “Mopey” was the work that established him with PNB audiences.

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Related Words

• crestfallen 
• despondent 
• discouraged 
• disheartened 
• dispirited 
• gloomy 
• glum 
• morose 

When To Use

What does mopey mean?

Someone who is mopey lacks vigor or spirit. They might feel glum, discouraged, or joyless.When your best friend goes away for the summer, leaving you with no one to hang out with and you feel lonely or sad, you might say you feel mopey. You might not want to hang out with your other friends or you may not feel like doing some of your favorite things. Or you might do them, but not with energy or a lot of enjoyment. You’re feeling mopey.Example: Juan looked pretty mopey after the exam, so I don’t think it went too well.