agape
agape Lexical Profile
agape Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Wide open, especially of the mouth in a state of wonder, surprise, or shock.
"The children stood with their mouths agape as the magician vanished from the stage."
• adverb
With the mouth wide open in wonder, surprise, or eager expectation.
"Tourists stared agape at the intricate frescoes covering the cathedral ceiling."
• noun
In Christian theology, unconditional, selfless, and spiritual love, such as the love of God for humankind or of believers for one another.
"The philosopher contrasted romantic passion with the selfless ideal of agape."
A communal meal or love feast held by early Christians to promote fellowship and charity.
"In the early church, the agape was celebrated as a shared banquet symbolizing unity among believers."
Word Nuance & Usage
'Agape' represents two distinct heteronyms: the two-syllable predicate adjective/adverb (/əˈɡeɪp/, meaning 'wide open'), which never precedes a noun directly, and the three-syllable theological noun (/ɑːˈɡɑːpeɪ/ or /ˈæɡəpi/, meaning 'unconditional spiritual love').
• Rhymes for agape
Word Origin & Etymology
The adjective meaning 'wide open' dates to the 17th century, formed from the prefix 'a-' ('in a state of') and the verb 'gape' (from Old Norse gapa). The noun meaning 'spiritual love' is an unrelated borrowing from Ancient Greek agápē ('brotherly or divine love'), adopted into Christian theology via the New Testament.