open-mouthed

[ oh-puhn-mouthd, -moutht ]

/ ˈoʊ pənˈmaʊðd, -ˈmaʊθt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR open-mouthed ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

having the mouth open.

gaping, as with surprise or astonishment.

greedy, ravenous, or rapacious.

clamoring at the sight of game or prey, as hounds.

vociferous or clamorous.

having a wide mouth, as a pitcher or jar.

Nearby words

open-hearth process, open-jaw, open-line, open-market operations, open-minded, open-mouthed, open-pit, open-plan, open-pollinated, open-reel, open-reel tape

Origin of open-mouthed

First recorded in 1525–35

SYNONYMS FOR open-mouthed

2 dumbfounded, flabbergasted, confounded, thunderstruck.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR open-mouthed ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

o·pen-mouth·ed·ly

[oh-puhn-mou-thid-lee, -moutht-lee] /ˈoʊ pənˈmaʊ ðɪd li, -ˈmaʊθt li/, adverbo·pen-mouth·ed·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for open-mouthed

They continued to stare at him open-mouthed, remaining entirely silent.
The Crime Club|William Holt-White
The woman stared for an instant in open-mouthed astonishment, and then her eyes flashed with anger.
The Jack-Knife Man|Ellis Parker Butler
She put on her spectacles and stared, open-mouthed, at the page in front of her.
The Soul of Susan Yellam|Horace Annesley Vachell
At that moment a big bull-terrier came rushing up, open-mouthed, pranced his two paws on the youth's shoulders, licking his face.
Sons and Lovers|David Herbert Lawrence

Mr. Blake nodded helplessly, and the blacksmith gazed at Harlan, open-mouthed, as he started uphill.
At the Sign of the Jack O'Lantern|Myrtle Reed

British Dictionary definitions for open-mouthed

open-mouthed

adjective

having an open mouth, esp in surprise

greedy or ravenous

clamorous or vociferous

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012