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Synonyms

mopey

American  
[moh-pee] / ˈmoʊ pi /
Or mopy

adjective

mopier, mopiest
  1. languishing, listless, droopy, or glum.


Usage

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.

Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of mopey

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


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Whereas the curator is obsessed with evocative details, down to the placement of embroidery needles, the rather mopey fairy tale deals purely in generalities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Those recipes are about the only Thanksgivingy thing about the episode, which mostly revolves around Ross being a mopey passive-aggressive jerk who has somehow become the object of two women’s affection.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 24, 2025

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.

From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2025

Last month, the comedy “Shortcomings” played at the Tribeca Festival and introduced viewers to Ben, a self-hating, mopey, movie-theater manager played by Justin H. Min.

From New York Times ● Jul. 6, 2023

“Well, as a matter of fact, she does seem a little mopey this afternoon. No, I take that back. She’s downright monstrous.”

From "Out of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper

Dream looks like the mopiest emo sadboi in the universe.

From Salon ● Mar. 4, 2022

"For 20 years, thousands of goths have gathered for Bats Day at Disneyland. Here are 17 photographs from the mopiest place on earth."

From Los Angeles Times

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