gawp

verb

ˈgȯp How to pronounce gawp (audio)
ˈgäp
gawped; gawping; gawps

intransitive verb

chiefly British
: gawk
gawper
ˈgȯ-pər How to pronounce gawp (audio)
ˈgä-
noun

Examples of gawp in a Sentence

tourists in London gawping at royalty
Recent Examples on the Web Although the moon’s shadow will arrive like clockwork and bring eerie darkness on schedule, to gawp at the sun’s corona requires a clear sky. Jamie Carter, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Like the passengers gawping at the flames, the reader cannot look away. Jordan Riefe, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2023 Indeed, when William came to Marlborough for interschool events, Kate was more interested in playing hockey than waiting at the goal line on the hockey field above Wedgewood, where some of the girls congregated to gawp at the prince. Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, 23 Feb. 2019 Viewership of pricey cable channels is in structural decline, as people spend more time on services like Netflix (or gawping at their phones). The Economist, 18 Jan. 2018 Apps such as Facebook and YouTube are fine-tuned to keep users gawping. The Economist, 14 Dec. 2017 Less hands-on museum-goers can gawp at sprawling, fantastical jungles and cities created by amateur Lego virtuosos all over the world and rebuilt here at the mothership. Justin Davidson, Smithsonian, 29 June 2017 The Phantom is a superb place to spend time, but locomotion adds little sensation beyond the fact that the view through the windows of gawping mortals starts to scroll. Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 12 Oct. 2017 Residents peer from their balconies, filming a club of gawping journalists stationed outside. Jack Moore, Newsweek, 6 June 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gawp.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

English dialect gawp to yawn, gape, from obsolete galp, from Middle English

First Known Use

1855, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gawp was in 1855

Dictionary Entries Near gawp

Cite this Entry

“Gawp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gawp. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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