gape

American  

[gayp, gap] / geɪp, gæp /

verb (used without object)

• gapes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• gaped,
  past participle,  past
• gaping
  present participle

1. to stare with open mouth, as in wonder.

2. to open the mouth wide involuntarily, as the result of hunger, sleepiness, or absorbed attention.

   Synonyms:

   yawn

3. to open as a gap; split or become open wide.

   Synonyms:

   yawn

---

noun

1. a wide opening; gap; breach.

2. an act or instance of gaping.

3. a stare, as in astonishment or with the mouth wide open.

4. a yawn.

5. Zoology. the width of the open mouth.

gape British  

/ ɡeɪp /

verb

1. to stare in wonder or amazement, esp with the mouth open

2. to open the mouth wide, esp involuntarily, as in yawning or hunger

3. to be or become wide open

   the crater gaped under his feet

---

noun

1. the act of gaping

2. a wide opening; breach

3. the width of the widely opened mouth of a vertebrate

4. a stare or expression of astonishment

Synonym Usage

See gaze.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subgape
  verb (used without object)
• ungaping
  adjective
• gapingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• gaping
  present
• gaped
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• gape
  simple
• gapes
  simple
• have gaped
  perfect
• has gaped
  perfect
• am gaping
  progressive
• are gaping
  progressive
• is gaping
  progressive
• have been gaping
  perfect progressive
• has been gaping
  perfect progressive

Past

• gaped
  simple
• had gaped
  perfect
• was gaping
  progressive
• were gaping
  progressive
• had been gaping
  perfect progressive

Future

• will gape
  simple
• will have gaped
  perfect
• will be gaping
  progressive
• will have been gaping
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of gape

1175–1225; Middle English, from Old Norse gapa “to open the mouth wide”; compare German gaffen

Explanation

If Bigfoot walked down your street wearing a tutu, you might gape or stare at the man-ape with your mouth open. You'd really gape if the tutu had a gaping, or wide open, hole. Gape is closely related to the word, gap, which means a space between things. When you gape at something, there is a lot of space between your teeth because your mouth is open in disbelief. You'll often hear mothers telling children not to gape. The fact is it's rude to stare at someone that way, even if they are a Sasquatch on the way to dance class.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gape gapes gaped gaping

But the company's wholesale volumes for the whole year were still down 9% at 6,030 cars, pushing its pre-tax losses to gape by a further 21% to £289 million.

From BBC ● Feb. 26, 2025

Scientology remains this subgenre’s biggest recurring star, even as we seasonally gape at and praise the high-power talent that legitimizes it.

From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2024

One would expect a more forceful reaction, but Margaret does little more than gape and then move on.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 5, 2024

As geology fans gape at video feeds that show incandescent rocks blowing from El Popo’s peak, those who live along its flanks have watched with respect and a noteworthy lack of trepidation.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 25, 2023

But even now, some of the writing remained, and she tried not to gape at it.

From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas

The crater gapes at about 13 miles wide and 2.6 miles deep.

From Scientific American ● Sep. 21, 2023

The line of the river now gapes like an open wound, perhaps a hundred metres across in places.

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2023

When pipes experience a catastrophic failure, the breach typically is much bigger, what’s referred to in the industry as a "fish mouth" rupture because it gapes wide like the mouth of a fish, he said.

From Fox News ● Oct. 8, 2021

When pipes experience a catastrophic failure, the breach typically is much bigger, what’s referred to in the industry as a “fish mouth” rupture because it gapes wide like the mouth of a fish, he said.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 7, 2021

His hands freeze mid-clap, and he gapes at me.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

In 2022, Joshua Cain and his partner, André Reyes, stepped into the foyer of the home on Monrovia’s South Ivy Avenue and gaped in wonder.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

Customers have gaped at his portion sizes, he said—one woman ordered a plate of nachos and consumed roughly four bites.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

Far out in the desert, the researchers gaped at the six-foot-long femur, the jaw, teeth, and base of the crest.

From Barron's ● Feb. 27, 2026

Anyone who has ever gaped through a gym’s plate-glass window or nodded off to a late-night infomercial has become familiar with the contraptions.

From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2023

As he galloped across the British Isles with the helicopters thundering above him, people stood and gaped and wondered what on earth was going on.

From "The BFG" by Roald Dahl

Just two years after the 62-year-old actor snapped up the modern 4,000-square-foot home, shocking images have revealed extensive damage outside the residence, with the collapse cracking open the sidewalk and leaving behind a gaping hole.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026

However, the departures of Rodri, Tijjani Reijnders and Nico Gonzalez meant there was a gaping hole left in the middle of the park that needed filling.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

He discussed feeling immense grief and how that grief can leave a gaping hole.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

The large, Soviet-era housing block now has a gaping hole through its top floors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

“They’re beautiful,” Autumn signs to herself, gaping at the cattle.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Related Words

• glare
• gloat
• stare