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Glite Dictionary
to open wide

to open wide

13 1.9
Make your mouth as wide as possible so a doctor or dentist can look inside
  • phrasal verb
  • /ˈoʊpən waɪd/
translation icon : abrir bien la boca
  • The dentist asked me to open wide so he could check my teeth.
  • open wide your mouth
  • open wide and say

Examples

Antonyms

to shut
∞ 1.0

To close something so it is not open

How Open

to gape
28 3.8
to open wide
13 1.9
to open
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

open wide infinitive
opened wide past
opened wide past participle
opening wide present participle
opens wide third person singular

Morphology

open + wide

The meaning 'to open one's mouth as far as possible' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'open' (to make accessible/not closed) with 'wide' (to a large extent). This simple verb + adverb composition and its frequent instructional use (e.g. at the dentist) are cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Open wide comes from a simple doctor or dentist instruction: they tell people to open their mouths wide so the doctor can see inside the throat, so it means 'to open one's mouth as far as possible'.