gape
gb/ɡˈeɪp/ us/ɡˈeɪp/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B2
action
1
stare with mouth open
To stare at something with your mouth open, usually because you are surprised.
Usage pattern:
gape at [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Don’t use *gape* for a normal look; it usually suggests surprise and an open mouth.
Synonyms
gawk (More informal; can sound rude.)
|
stare (More neutral; does not necessarily imply an open mouth.)
Antonyms
glance (A quick look, not a long open-mouthed stare.)
|
ignore (Not looking at all.)
Collocations
gape at someone
|gape at something
|gape in astonishment
|gape in amazement
|gape in disbelief
|stand there gaping
|sit there gaping
|gape stupidly
|gape helplessly
|left them gaping
Themes
emotions
|communication
|daily_life
Examples
- Tourists stopped to gape at the waterfall.
- She gaped in disbelief when she heard the news.
- Don’t just stand there gaping—help me!
Learner examples
- He gaped at the huge cake.
- I gaped in surprise.
Verb
C1
state
2
be wide open
To be open very wide.
Usage pattern:
[opening] gapes (open)
Common mistake:
In this sense, *gape* is usually intransitive (you don’t ‘gape the door’).
Synonyms
yawn (Often used for large openings in the ground or buildings; more literary.)
|
stand open (More neutral and less dramatic.)
Antonyms
close (Move from open to shut.)
|
seal (Close tightly so nothing can pass through.)
Collocations
gape open
|door gaped open
|window gaped open
|wound gaped
|hole gaped
|mouth gaped
|gaping crack
|gaping entrance
|gaping mouth
|gape wide
Themes
daily_life
|health
|materials
Examples
- The front door gaped open when we got home.
- A dark hole gaped in the side of the hill.
- The cut gaped wide and needed stitches.
Learner examples
- The window gaped open.
- A hole gaped in the wall.
Verb
B2
action
3
open your mouth very wide
To open your mouth wide.
Usage pattern:
gape (wide)
Common mistake:
This sense focuses on the mouth opening, not on looking at something (compare ‘gape at’).
Synonyms
open (More general; does not imply ‘very wide’ or surprise.)
|
yawn (Specifically opening the mouth wide from tiredness or boredom.)
Antonyms
shut (Close the mouth.)
Collocations
gape wide
|gape for air
|gape helplessly
|gape like a fish
|gape in surprise
|gape silently
|gape foolishly
|gape with exhaustion
|gape with shock
|gape open-mouthed
Themes
body
|health
|daily_life
Examples
- He gaped for air after running up the stairs.
- The baby gaped wide and started to cry.
- She gaped, unable to find the words.
Learner examples
- I gaped for air.
- She gaped wide.
Noun
C1
entity
4
a wide opening or gap
A big open space or gap.
Usage pattern:
a gape in [something]
Common mistake:
The noun *gape* is less common than the verb; learners often use *gap* instead in everyday speech.
Synonyms
gap (More common and less dramatic.)
|
opening (General word; may sound less negative.)
Antonyms
closure (The state of being shut.)
|
seal (A tight closing with no opening.)
Collocations
a wide gape
|a dark gape
|a gape in the wall
|a gape in the hedge
|fill the gape
|a gape between teeth
|a sudden gape
|a narrow gape
|a yawning gape
|a gaping abyss
Themes
daily_life
|materials
|nature
Examples
- There was a gape in the fence where the boards had broken.
- A dark gape opened between the rocks.
- The building’s entrance was a wide gape of shattered glass.
Learner examples
- There is a gape in the fence.
Noun
literary
C1
event
5
an open-mouthed stare
A surprised stare with your mouth open.
Usage pattern:
give [someone] a gape
Common mistake:
This noun sense is uncommon in everyday conversation; ‘stare’ is usually preferred.
Synonyms
stare (More common; doesn’t necessarily imply an open mouth.)
Antonyms
smile (A friendly facial expression, not a shocked stare.)
Collocations
a blank gape
|a stupid gape
|a startled gape
|a gape of astonishment
|with a gape
|freeze in a gape
Themes
emotions
|communication
Examples
- He answered with a helpless gape.
- She met the accusation with a blank gape.
- The joke was followed by a long gape of confusion.
Grammar
Dictionary form
gape
IPA
GB/ɡˈeɪp/
US/ɡˈeɪp/
Syllables & stress
gape (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (gape)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: gape
- Plural: gapes
Verb
- Base: gape
- 3rd Person Singular: gapes
- Present Participle: gaping
- Past: gaped
Word family
Forms
gapes
noun
gaping
verb
gaped
verb
Advanced or less common
agape
adjective
Expressions
a gaping hole in [something]
1/ə ɡˈeɪpɪŋ hˈoʊl ˈɪn sˈʌmθɪŋ/
idiom
major absence or missing part
A big missing part or problem that is easy to notice.
Examples
- The proposal has a gaping hole in its cost estimates.
- Her sudden departure left a gaping hole in the team.
- That explanation leaves a gaping hole in the story.
gape open
1/ɡˈeɪp ˈoʊpən/
fixed phrase
be wide open
To be open very wide.
Examples
- The cupboard door gaped open all night.
- Her mouth gaped open when she saw the mistake.
- A suitcase lay on the bed, gaping open.
gaping hole
1/ɡˈeɪpɪŋ hˈoʊl/
fixed phrase
large, very noticeable hole
A very big, easy-to-see hole.
Examples
- There was a gaping hole in the roof after the storm.
- The car hit a barrier and left a gaping hole in the fence.
- A gaping hole opened in the ground beside the path.
leave [someone] gaping
1/lˈiv sˈʌmwˌʌn ɡˈeɪpɪŋ/
idiom
shock someone greatly
To surprise someone a lot.
Examples
- The final plot twist left the audience gaping.
- His answer left me gaping with surprise.
- The size of the bill left them gaping.
stand there gaping
1/stˈænd ðˈɛɹ ɡˈeɪpɪŋ/
fixed phrase
informal
stand staring in surprise
To stand and stare because you are surprised.
Examples
- Don’t just stand there gaping—call an ambulance!
- They stood there gaping as the magician made the card disappear.
- I stood there gaping, not sure what to say next.