openmouthed

Thân thiện

The child stood openmouthed in front of the magician's trick.

Definition

Adjective: 1. Having the mouth open in surprise or wonder: Describes a person whose mouth is agape due to being astonished, shocked, or amazed by something. 2. Characterized by a look of astonishment: Often implies a state of being so surprised that one is momentarily speechless or transfixed.

Usage

The adjective "openmouthed" is used to describe a person's reaction, typically to something unexpected, shocking, or incredible. It emphasizes a physical, involuntary expression of surprise. - It is commonly used predicatively (after a linking verb like was, stood, sat) or attributively (before a noun). - It describes a temporary state, not a permanent characteristic.

Examples

• The audience was openmouthed during the magician's final trick.
• She stared, openmouthed, at the unexpected news on the screen.
• His openmouthed astonishment was evident to everyone in the room.
• They listened in openmouthed silence as he told his incredible story.

Advanced Usage

• "openmouthed in astonishment": A common collocation that reinforces the cause of the surprise.
  • The children were openmouthed in astonishment at the size of the dinosaur skeleton.
• Used to describe collective reactions.
  • The openmouthed crowd watched as the spaceship descended.

Variants and Related Words

• Agape (adj.): Having the mouth wide open, especially in surprise or wonder. (A close synonym, though slightly more formal or literary.)
• Gobsmacked (adj., informal): Utterly astonished or shocked. (Implies a stronger, more colloquial sense of surprise, often leaving one speechless.)
• Flabbergasted (adj.): Extremely surprised or shocked. (Focuses more on the internal feeling than the physical expression.)

Synonyms

• Astonished
• Aghast
• Thunderstruck
• Dumbfounded (often implies being so surprised one is unable to speak)

Antonyms

• Unimpressed
• Unmoved
• Blasé
• Expectant (as the surprise element is absent)

Related Idioms and Phrases

• To be struck dumb: To be so surprised or shocked that one cannot speak. (This idiom describes a similar state of speechless astonishment implied by "openmouthed.")
• Eyes wide open: While focusing on the eyes, this phrase describes a similar state of alert astonishment that often accompanies being openmouthed.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. with eyes or mouth open in surprise

Từ đồng nghĩa

• goggle-eyed
• popeyed