What does hopping mean?
Hopping is the present participle of hop and describes movement made with a series of light, short jumps. A person may hop on one foot, a frog may hop across wet ground, or an object such as a ball may move with a hopping or bouncing motion. The word also has figurative uses: someone can be hopping with excitement, and a busy venue may be described as hopping. These expressions convey energy, bustle, or enthusiasm rather than literal jumping. In informal speech, “hopping mad” is especially idiomatic, meaning extremely angry, although “mad” here does not imply insanity. As an attributive adjective, hopping can describe a person, animal, or thing characterized by lively movement, as in “a hopping child.” Its simplicity makes it particularly vivid in descriptions of spontaneous activity, celebration, and crowded places.
To move with short, light jumps, especially on one foot; figuratively, to move or proceed with lively energy.
"She hopped across the room to answer the telephone."
The present participle normally accompanies another verb, as in “has been hopping,” though it can also function attributively, as in “a hopping frog.”
Lively or busy; moving with repeated short jumps. In the idiom “hopping mad,” extremely irritated.
"The town was hopping after the festival began."
The sense meaning extremely angry is informal and occurs almost exclusively in the fixed phrase “hopping mad.”
One small movement can carry a large meaning: hopping is a physical action, a picture of exuberance, and even a way of describing a place that is full of activity.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hopping come from?
The present participle hopping was formed regularly from the Middle English verb hoppen, meaning to move in short jumps. That verb developed from Old English hopian and ultimately belongs to the Germanic family of words for leaping or hopping, with close relatives including Dutch hoppen and German hopfen. The word's energetic figurative senses are extensions of this basic image of repeated light jumps.
How hopping is actually used
In its literal sense, hopping is informal but broadly neutral. The figurative senses are especially common in British and American informal English; “hopping mad” is a fixed expression meaning extremely angry, while “hopping with excitement” conveys energetic delight.
Easily confused with hopping
Hopping involves moving in light jumps, whereas humping describes making a rounded, uneven rise or movement.