agape

¹

[ uh-geyp, uh-gap ]

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

[ ah-gah-pey, ah-guh-pey, ag-uh- ]

noun

, plural a·ga·pae [ah-, gah, -pahy, ah, -g, uh, -pahy, -pee], a·ga·pai [ah-, gah, -pahy, ah, -g, uh, -pahy]

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 ( defs 1, 2 ).

Agape

¹

/ 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

/ əˈɡeɪp /

adjective

1. (esp of the mouth) wide open
2. very surprised, expectant, or eager, esp as indicated by a wide open mouth

Word History and Origins

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”

Word History and Origins

Origin of agape¹

C17: Greek agapē love

Origin of agape²

C17: a- ² + gape

Example Sentences

Yet there I was, about to start a minigame, with my mouth agape.

From Washington Post

Butterflies in my stomach, I waited and watched, mouth agape, as scores of fish flew by unscathed.

From Outside Online

A mother’s love is unearned and the truest definition of agape love which exists.

From Essence.com

The family provided a photo of Carmelo standing on a small table, his tiny mouth agape, decked out in stylish clothes — a tie-dye shirt, stonewashed jeans and baby Air Jordan sneakers.

From Washington Post

It lay there facing us, talons extended and agape, ready to shred any flesh within striking distance.

From Popular-Science

One student can be seen staring with her mouth agape in horror.

From The Daily Beast

Their mouths hang ghoulishly agape and give them the appearance of very convincing horror movie villains.

From The Daily Beast

By the time every girl came back onstage—marking the close of the show—my mouth was completely agape.

From The Daily Beast

And his legacy contains perhaps his most enduring heroism, in this principle of love agape.

From The Daily Beast

The acquisition left smart-money mouths agape from Wall Street to Silicon Valley.

From The Daily Beast

Dobson, mouth agape, struck a little bell on the desk and the orderly stepped in from the outer room.

From Project Gutenberg

In her dim, cushioned corner Mollie Gretna lay back against the wall, her face pale and her weak mouth foolishly agape.

From Project Gutenberg

Clip stared at him for a moment, with jaws agape, then trundled his motor-cycle forward and lifted it into the rumble.

From Project Gutenberg

Their eyes fixed, their mouths agape, their hands clasped, they listened with increasing avidity to the Gascon adventurer.

From Project Gutenberg

There is no use of secrecy, where all the world is already agape.

From Project Gutenberg