with the mouth wide open, as in wonder, surprise, or eagerness.
We stood there agape at the splendor.
wide open.
his mouth agape.
the love of God or Christ for humankind.
the love of Christians for other persons, corresponding to the love of God for humankind.
unselfish love of one person for another without sexual implications; brotherly love.
Christian love, esp as contrasted with erotic love; charity
a communal meal in the early Church taken in commemoration of the Last Supper; love feast
(esp of the mouth) wide open
very surprised, expectant, or eager, esp as indicated by a wide open mouth
First recorded in 1660–70; a- 1 + gape
First recorded in 1600–10, agape is from the Greek word agápē “love”
If you’re watching a powerful display of nature such as an avalanche, you might stare at it with your mouth agape, which means your mouth would be wide open in awe. You should close it, before it is full of snow. Agape, you may have already figured out, comes from the verb gape, meaning "to open wide or split." This is what happens to your mouth when you are looking agape at something in amazement. Don’t confuse mouth-wide-open agape with the other agape, which is spelled the same but pronounced differently and refers to Christian love.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The mouths of journalists were agape, but time dulls horrific reality.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
There I was, learning about the end of this particular chapter of democracy while trying on jorts 50 percent off at a Gap Outlet, my mouth agape at the not-surprising but still-shocking news.
From Slate • Jul. 21, 2024
Rafael Nadal, left arm across his chest, feet levitating above the court and mouth agape, has just walloped a trademark forehand winner.
From BBC • May 24, 2024
He looked so frail in a wheelchair, his legs covered by a blanket and his mouth agape, that it shocked friends in the church and admirers watching on television.
From New York Times • Feb. 17, 2024
Some are even strung across the trees, creating this magical pathway you could walk under, head back, mouth agape.
From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
