gape
/ɡeɪp/ (bre, ipa) · /ɡeɪp/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈgāp sometimes ˈgap/ (ame, mw)
gape — verb
- gapepresent simple I / you / we / they
- gapes3rd person singular
- gaping-ing form
- gapedpast simple
1. to keep staring at a person or thing with your jaw hanging down, because you are
to keep staring at a person or thing with your jaw hanging down, because you are shocked, confused, or amazed by what you see.
Sumin stood frozen on the platform, gaping at the burning train.
intransitive: gape at + noun (object of shock)
Tourists gaped at the giant whale skeleton hanging from the museum ceiling.
Don't just stand there gaping — give me a hand with these bags!
The whole class gaped when Caleb walked in wearing a chicken costume.
Élise gaped in disbelief as her brother proposed to his girlfriend at dinner.
文法句型
gape at + noun
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person reacting to something startling. Often followed by 'at' + the thing causing the reaction, or by a prepositional phrase like 'in disbelief / in shock / in horror'.
常見錯誤
2. of an opening such as a hole, wound, mouth, or doorway: to be stretched out far
of an opening such as a hole, wound, mouth, or doorway: to be stretched out far apart, leaving a noticeable empty space in the middle.
A deep cut gaped on Dewi's knee after she fell off her bicycle.
subject is a wound: gape = 'be wide open'
The front door gaped open, and a cold wind blew through the kitchen.
collocation: gape open (often emphatic)
After the earthquake, huge cracks gaped in the road outside the bakery.
Lakshmi yawned widely, her mouth gaping for several seconds.
Ife's old leather jacket had begun to gape at the seams along both pockets.
文法句型
[hole/wound/door] + gape
用法筆記
Subject is an opening or something that can split open (wound, hole, mouth, door, seam). Distinguish from sense 1: here no person is doing the staring — the thing itself is wide open.
常見錯誤
gape — noun
1. a long surprised look that a person gives, with their jaw hanging down, after se
a long surprised look that a person gives, with their jaw hanging down, after seeing or hearing something shocking.
Rania let out a small gape when she saw the singer step off the bus.
A gape of pure astonishment spread across Ilan's face at the magic trick.
collocation: a gape of + emotion noun
Mizuki stared at the bill with an open gape, unable to believe the total.
The children watched the parade in a slack-jawed gape from start to finish.
- stare
neutral; doesn't suggest an open mouth
- look of astonishment
a fuller phrase that conveys the same meaning more clearly
文法句型
a gape of + noun
用法筆記
Rare as a noun — the verb form is far more common. Usually appears with 'of' + an emotion (astonishment, surprise, wonder), or after a descriptive adjective like 'slack-jawed' or 'open'.
2. the wide opening of an animal's mouth or a bird's beak when it is held fully apa
the wide opening of an animal's mouth or a bird's beak when it is held fully apart, for example to feed, breathe, or threaten.
Femi photographed the bright orange gape of a baby robin in the nest.
collocation: the [colour] gape of + bird
The python's gape was wide enough to swallow a small rabbit whole.
Elena measured the gape of the shark's jaws using a long wooden ruler.
Inside the hippo's pink gape, the zookeeper saw two rows of huge teeth.
文法句型
the gape of + animal
用法筆記
Specialised: refers to the mouth or beak opening of an animal, often in nature, zoology, or birdwatching writing. Not used of human mouths in this sense — for human mouths use sense 1 (the stare) instead.