📒 allowing things or people to go through; not closed or blocked
- A wasp flew in the open window.
- She had left the door wide open.
- The castle gates swung open.
📒 with eyelids or lips apart
- She had difficulty keeping her eyes open (= because she was very tired).
- He was breathing through his open mouth.
- She stared at him, her mouth hanging open.
📒 spread out; with the edges apart
- The flowers are all open now.
- The book lay open on the table.
- She put the money into his open hand.
📒 not fastened or covered, so that things can easily come out or be put in
- Leave the envelope open.
- The bag burst open and everything fell out.
- I tried to pry open the locket.
📒 not fastened
📒 not surrounded by anything; not closed in
- open country/countryside (= without forests, buildings, etc.)
- a city with a lot of parks and wide open spaces
- driving along the open road (= part of a road in the country, where you can drive fast)
📒 with no cover or roof on
- an open drain
- people working in the open air (= not in a building)
- open to something The hall of the old house was open to the sky.
📒 if a shop, bank, business, etc. is open, it is ready for business and will allow customers or visitors to come in
- Is the museum open on Sundays?
- The new store will be open in the spring.
- I declare this festival open.
📒 if a competition, meeting, etc. is open, anyone can enter, attend it, etc.
- an open debate/championship/scholarship
- She was tried in open court (= the public could go and listen to the trial).
- The debate was thrown open to the audience.
📒 if a competition, building, etc. is open to particular people, those people can enter it
- The competition is open to young people under the age of 18.
- The house is not open to the public.
- The car park is only open to residents.
📒 to be available and ready to use
- Is the offer still open?
- I want to keep my Swiss bank account open.
- open to somebody What options are open to us?
📒 if a phone line or other channel of communication is open, it is ready to take calls, receive requests, etc.
- Lines are open 8 am to 7 pm weekdays.
- It is important to keep communication channels open.
- Nominations are now open for this year's Design Awards.
📒 likely to suffer something such as criticism, injury, etc.
- open to something The system is open to abuse.
- He has laid himself wide open to political attack.
- Kasparov had left his bishop open (= not protected, in a game of chess).
📒 known to everyone; not kept hidden
- an open quarrel
- We need more open government, starting with a Freedom of Information Act.
- their open display of affection
📒 honest; not keeping thoughts and feelings hidden
- a frank and open discussion
- open with somebody She was always open with her parents.
- open about something He was quite open about his reasons for leaving.
📒 willing to listen to and think about new ideas
- He was in an open frame of mind.
- open to something They are very open to new ideas.
- I'm open to suggestions for what you would like to do in our classes.
📒 not yet finally decided or settled
- The race is still wide open (= anyone could win).
- Which route is better remains an open question (= it is not decided).
- In an interview try to ask open questions (= to which the answer is not just ‘yes’ or ‘no’).
📒 allowing something; making something possible
- The price is not open to negotiation.
- Some phrases in the contract are open to interpretation.
- What she means precisely is open to debate.
📒 that does not have to be used on a particular day
- I have an open ticket, so I can travel any day I like.
- I didn't know how long I would be staying so I bought an open return.
📒 with wide spaces between the threads
📒 produced with the tongue in the lowest possible position
📒 if something is an open secret, many people know about it, although it is supposed to be a secret
📒 to open suddenly or violently; to make something open in this way
- The door burst open.
- Firefighters burst the door open and rescued them.
📒 (to provide) the means of getting or reaching something; (to create) the opportunity for something
- The agreement will open the door to increased international trade.
- Our courses are the door to success in English.
📒 to be willing to listen to or accept new ideas or suggestions
- Try to keep an open mind until you've heard all the facts.
📒 to listen or look out for somebody/something that you might hear or see
📒 to look for somebody/something while you are doing other things
- Police have asked residents to keep an eye out for anything suspicious.
- I walked around the store, keeping an eye out for bargains.
📒 to avoid making a decision now so that you still have a choice in the future
- At the moment I'm keeping my options open and applying for as many different jobs as possible.
📒 available to buy without any limits
📒 if you describe somebody or their life as an open book, you mean that you can easily understand them and know everything about them
📒 an invitation to somebody to visit you at any time
📒 if something is an open invitation to criminals, etc., it encourages them to commit a crime by making it easier
- Leaving your camera on the seat in the car is an open invitation to thieves.
📒 fully aware of the possible problems or results of a particular course of action
- I went into this with my eyes open so I guess I only have myself to blame.
📒 if you welcome somebody with open arms, you are extremely happy and pleased to see them