open-mouthed

adjective

ˌō-pən-ˈmau̇t͟hd  -ˈmau̇tht 

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

especially : having the mouth open in an expression of shock, surprise, etc.

The crowd stood open-mouthed with murmurs of wonder …

—Gutzon Borglum

It was an incredible display of batting which left cricket fans … open-mouthed with astonishment.

—dailymail.co.uk

… you'll find the robot working away before an audience of openmouthed viewers.

—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

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

2

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

… 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

openmouthedly

ˌō-pən-ˈmau̇-t͟həd-lē  -thəd- 

adverb

openmouthedness

ˌō-pən-ˈmau̇-t͟həd-nəs 

-thəd-

noun

Synonyms

• amazed
• astonished
• astounded
• awed
• awestruck
• awestricken
• dumbfounded
• dumfounded
• flabbergasted
• marveling
• marvelling
• wondering

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

But for a few hours a day, the 4-month-old pygmy hippo springs to life, gumming on leaves, zooming around the compound and tossing her head in a silent, open-mouthed roar. —Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Kids Definition

openmouthed

adjective

open·​mouthed ˌō-pən-ˈmau̇t͟hd  -ˈmau̇tht 

1

: having the mouth wide open

2

: struck with amazement or wonder