Meaning & use
moper
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Meaning
nouncountable
A person who often seems sad, quiet, and without energy, and who does not join in what others are doing.
Grammar: Countable: use 'a moper' for one such person and 'mopers' for more than one.
Patterns
- a bit of a moper
- a real moper
He was a moper as a teenager, staying in his room for hours.
Don't be such a moper—come out with us tonight.
She's not a moper; she just likes quiet evenings alone.
Word forms
| plural | mopers |
|---|
Common combinations
- a bit of a moper
- He's a bit of a moper, but he's kind once you get to know him.
- a real moper
- After losing the match, he was a real moper for the rest of the day.
- call someone a moper
- The other kids called him a moper because he never wanted to play.
- stop being a moper
- Stop being a moper and help us set the table.
Synonyms and how they differ
- moaner
- A moaner complains a lot; a moper is sad and quiet rather than complaining.
- brooder
- A brooder thinks deeply and silently about problems; a moper shows low spirits more openly.
- sulker
- A sulker is annoyed and shows it by refusing to talk; a moper is more sad than angry.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: moper or mopper?
moper vs mopper
A mopper is someone who cleans floors with a mop; a moper is someone who is sad and inactive.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'moper' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Moper' means a person who is often sad and inactive, so 'He's a bit of a moper' fits. The other options confuse it with 'mop' (a cleaning tool or action) or use it as a verb or object, which is wrong.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “moper”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.