agape

Meanings

1. 1adjectiveafter a verbliterary

   With the mouth open wide, usually from surprise, wonder or shock.

   Grammar: Comes after a verb or noun, never before one: stood agape, mouths agape.

   Patterns

   • stand agape
   • with mouth agape
   • mouths agape

   The children stood agape as the magician made the bird vanish.

   She stared at the ring, her mouth agape.

   The crowd watched agape while the bridge swayed.

2. 2noununcountablereligionformal

   Selfless, giving love for others, as in religious teaching, as opposed to romantic love.

   Grammar: In this sense it is pronounced differently, roughly AH-gah-pay.

   Patterns

   • agape love

   The sermon was about agape, love without conditions.

   Philosophers separate agape from erotic love.

   The charity was driven by agape for strangers in need.

Common combinations

mouth agape

He stood there with his mouth agape.

stand agape

The tourists stood agape before the huge waterfall.

stare agape

They stared agape at the enormous cake.

leave agape

The twist left the audience agape.

look on agape

Neighbors looked on agape as the roof was lifted by crane.

agape with wonder

The boy sat agape with wonder at the planetarium.

Synonyms and how they differ

open-mouthed

Open-mouthed is plain and can go before a noun, while agape is literary and goes after the noun.

gaping

Gaping can describe wide holes as well as people staring, while agape describes only the open mouth or its owner.

astonished

Astonished names the feeling of surprise, while agape describes the physical look it causes.

wide open

Wide open is used for doors, windows and eyes too, not just mouths.

Opposites

Word family

gape verb

to stare with the mouth open

gaping adjective

wide open, as in a gaping hole

Commonly confused: agape or agape (love)?

Practice

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