agape
/əˈɡeɪp/ adjective, adverb, noun
Forms agapae agapai
- adjective In a state of astonishment, wonder, expectation, or eager attention; as with mouth hanging open.
- adjective Wide open.
- adverb In a state of astonishment, wonder, expectation, or eager attention.
- adverb Open wide.
- noun (uncountable, Christianity) The love of God for mankind, or the benevolent love of Christians for others.
- noun (uncountable) Spiritual, altruistic, beneficial love which wills good for others.
- noun (countable) A love feast, especially one held in the early Christian Church in connection with the Eucharist.
Synonyms
open-mouthed dumbstruck wide-eyed agog catching flies charity agape love love feast gaping
Etymology
From a- + gape. First known use by John Milton in Paradise Lost (1667).
From Ancient Greek ἀγάπη (agápē).
Webster’s 1913
- adverb Gaping, as with wonder, expectation, or eager attention.
- noun The love feast of the primitive Christians, being a meal partaken of in connection with the communion.
Etymology [Pref. a- + gape.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “agape”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details