mope

/məʊp/ (bre, ipa) · /məʊp/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmōp/ (ame, mw)

mope — verb

  • mopepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • mopeshe / she / it
  • mopedpast simple
  • moping-ing form

1. to stay low in mood and do very little because you keep dwelling on a disappoint

1.動詞不及物C1
釋義

to stay low in mood and do very little because you keep dwelling on a disappointment or some bad luck

例句

Élise moped around the apartment after the job offer fell through.

mope around after a disappointment

Instead of joining the picnic, Sirin stayed home and moped all afternoon.

mope instead of joining others

同義詞
  • sulk

    usually suggests silent resentment toward another person, rather than general disappointment

  • brood

    emphasises repeated, inward thinking about the problem more than visible sad behaviour

  • pine

    often implies longing for someone or something absent, especially over a longer period

反義詞
  • perk up

    to become more cheerful and active again

文法句型

mope + over/about + noun phrase

mope + adverbial of time/place

用法筆記

Often follows a setback such as rejection, loss, or embarrassment. Sense 1 focuses on the gloomy mood, while sense 2 focuses on wandering slowly from place to place.

常見錯誤

❌He moped his room after the game.
✅He moped in his room after the game.
💡mope is intransitive here, so the place is introduced by a preposition.

2. to drift from place to place in a slow, unfocused way, with no clear plan

2.動詞不及物C2
釋義

to drift from place to place in a slow, unfocused way, with no clear plan

例句

Christopher moped along the empty pier while waiting for the ferry.

mope along + place

With no map in hand, Zuri moped around the market until sunset.

mope around + place

同義詞
  • drift

    suggests moving without a strong purpose, often a little more smoothly than mope

  • dawdle

    focuses on wasting time by moving slowly, not on the aimless mood

  • wander

    broader and more neutral, without the same sense of slack, slow movement

反義詞
  • stride

    to walk quickly and with a clear purpose

文法句型

mope around/about + place

mope along/through + place

用法筆記

Usually appears with around, about, along, or through plus a place. Unlike sense 1, this sense can describe movement even when sadness is not the main point.

常見錯誤

❌We moped the station for an hour.
✅We moped around the station for an hour.
💡this sense does not take the place as a direct object.

mope — noun