Jump To:

• agape
  agape

  adverb

  with the mouth wide open, as in wonder, surprise, or eagerness.
• Agape
  Agape

  noun

  Christian love, esp as contrasted with erotic love; charity

agape

¹ American  

[uh-geyp, uh-gap] / əˈgeɪp, əˈgæp /

adverb

1. with the mouth wide open, as in wonder, surprise, or eagerness.

   We stood there agape at the splendor.

2. wide open.

   his mouth agape.

---

agape ² American  

[ah-gah-pey, ah-guh-pey, ag-uh-] / ɑˈgɑ peɪ, ˈɑ gəˌpeɪ, ˈæg ə- /

noun

• agapae,
  plural
• agapai
  plural

1. the love of God or Christ for humankind.

2. the love of Christians for other persons, corresponding to the love of God for humankind.

3. unselfish love of one person for another without sexual implications; brotherly love.

4. love feast.

---

Agape ¹ British  

/ ˈæɡəpɪ /

noun

1. Christian love, esp as contrasted with erotic love; charity

2. a communal meal in the early Church taken in commemoration of the Last Supper; love feast

---

agape ² British  

/ əˈɡeɪp /

adjective

1. (esp of the mouth) wide open

2. very surprised, expectant, or eager, esp as indicated by a wide open mouth

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• agapae
  plural
• agapai
  plural

Etymology

Origin of agape¹

First recorded in 1660–70; a- ¹ + gape

Origin of agape²

First recorded in 1600–10, agape is from the Greek word agápē “love”

Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

agape Agape

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

I thought, too, that he was mocking me with his mouth, which lay slack, agape.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee

In 2017, when she and her husband launched Camp Agape California, Vallejo said she was tested in profound ways.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

The study was supported by National Institutes of Health grants R01NS094564, R21NS106307, and RF1AG077451, as well as grants from the Hartwell Foundation, Cure SMA, and the Agape Foundation.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 7, 2023

“This is the precise time to preach the word of God,” said pastor Albert Rivera, an evangelical who currently provides a roof and spiritual guidance for nearly 400 migrants in Agape, a nearby shelter.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 21, 2023

There were hundreds in the bright yellow buildings of the Agape Mision Mundial shelter, as more arrived at the metal gate with little more than paperwork and a few belongings.

From Washington Times ● May 12, 2023

Agape, we’d stood on the sidewalk with our sodas while he waved and dashed into the store.

From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings