open-mouthed
adjective
variants
or less commonly openmouthed
1
a
: having the mouth open
… bizarre touches such as fireplaces in the form of huge, open-mouthed, monstrous faces.—
Deborah Howard
Deborah Howard
especially
: having the mouth open in an expression of shock, surprise, etc.
The crowd stood open-mouthed with murmurs of wonder … —Gutzon Borglum
Gutzon Borglum It was an incredible display of batting which left cricket fans … open-mouthed with astonishment. —dailymail.co.uk
dailymail.co.uk … you'll find the robot working away before an audience of openmouthed viewers. —Edwards Park
Edwards Park
b
: made or done with the mouth open
an open-mouthed yawn
If any open-mouthed kissing is involved in a role, the actor must be informed of this at the audition phase.—Monty Brower
Monty Brower
c
: causing an open-mouthed expression (as of shock or surprise)
[Jennifer] Capriati stared in openmouthed wonder at the sight of so many grown-ups acting like kids.—S. L. Price
S. L. Price2
of a container
: having a wide opening : wide-mouthed
open-mouthed jars
3
: clamorous, vociferous
It is certain that the ladies of this city … are all open-mouthed against the murderers of a sovereign …—Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson… if all I have said seems to you but mere open-mouthed praise of these arts, I must say that it is not for nothing that what I have hitherto put before you has taken that form.—William Morris
William MorrisSynonyms
Examples of open-mouthed in a Sentence
I stood there open-mouthed, unable to believe what I was seeing.
the stunning view from the mountaintop left us open-mouthed and at a loss for words
Recent Examples on the Web
Over the previous 48 hours, the Wade sculpture had been subjected to a kind of name, image and likeness debate among sports fans: namely, whether the statue’s expression of open-mouthed primacy captured Wade’s essence.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2019
But despite dolphins’ playful reputation, their facial expressions during play had never been investigated before, though studies have established that other mammals, like humans and monkeys, communicate with open-mouthed, smile-like expressions when playing.
—Issy Ronald, CNN, 4 Oct. 2024
The movie’s anonymous serial killer hides behind an oddly specific knowledge of pop culture and the infamous Ghostface mask—an eerie, bone-white, open-mouthed ghost with a freakishly extended jawline.
—Alex Vance, Parents, 20 Sep. 2024
Then there was a molten cavern with an open-mouthed oven: the furnace room, where Davis’ character, a long-suffering low-level demon, has spent centuries shoveling coal.
—Alex Bhattacharji, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 2024
Tkachuk happily obliged, raising the Cup and slopping its chilly contents (Bud Light and Michelob Ultra) over the railing onto open-mouthed fans below.
—Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 25 June 2024
Men snoring open-mouthed on park benches; a balloon from the Central Park Zoo floating to hide a doting father’s face as his baby reaches towards him.
—Helen Stoilas, CNN, 24 June 2024
And her performance is brave, but more for its rawness, its unembarrassed self-referentiality, and its balls-to-the-wall insanity — at one point, Moore’s face, buried in prosthetics and makeup, erupts from her own back in a silent, open-mouthed scream.
—Rachel Handler, Vulture, 20 May 2024
Characters race onto rooftops, open-mouthed, their necks craned toward the cosmos.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2024
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2019
But despite dolphins’ playful reputation, their facial expressions during play had never been investigated before, though studies have established that other mammals, like humans and monkeys, communicate with open-mouthed, smile-like expressions when playing.
—Issy Ronald, CNN, 4 Oct. 2024
The movie’s anonymous serial killer hides behind an oddly specific knowledge of pop culture and the infamous Ghostface mask—an eerie, bone-white, open-mouthed ghost with a freakishly extended jawline.
—Alex Vance, Parents, 20 Sep. 2024
Then there was a molten cavern with an open-mouthed oven: the furnace room, where Davis’ character, a long-suffering low-level demon, has spent centuries shoveling coal.
—Alex Bhattacharji, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 2024
Tkachuk happily obliged, raising the Cup and slopping its chilly contents (Bud Light and Michelob Ultra) over the railing onto open-mouthed fans below.
—Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 25 June 2024
Men snoring open-mouthed on park benches; a balloon from the Central Park Zoo floating to hide a doting father’s face as his baby reaches towards him.
—Helen Stoilas, CNN, 24 June 2024
And her performance is brave, but more for its rawness, its unembarrassed self-referentiality, and its balls-to-the-wall insanity — at one point, Moore’s face, buried in prosthetics and makeup, erupts from her own back in a silent, open-mouthed scream.
—Rachel Handler, Vulture, 20 May 2024
Characters race onto rooftops, open-mouthed, their necks craned toward the cosmos.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2024
Dictionary Entries Near open-mouthed
Cite this Entry
“Open-mouthed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/open-mouthed. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
openmouthed
adjective
open·mouthed
ˌō-pən-ˈmau̇t͟hd 
-ˈmau̇tht
-ˈmau̇tht
1
: having the mouth wide open
2
: struck with amazement or wonder
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share