open

A1 Topic:Describing Qualities

Also spelled oppen

US /ˈoʊ.pən/ UK /ˈəʊ.pən/ See IPA manual

Freq #335

Meanings

1

adj
Not shut; allowing things or people to pass through.

Leave the window open to let some air in.
2

adj
Ready to do business; receiving customers.

The shops are open until nine tonight.
3

adj
Available to everyone; not restricted.

The competition is open to all ages.
4

adj
Not yet filled or decided.

The job is still open.
5

adj
Honest and willing to share thoughts and feelings.

She was open about her doubts.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

3 adj · available to everyone; not... unrestricted

More accessible begin reveal unimpeded unseal

Opposites

bare checked closedclosed-sourceproprietary shut

Word family

Forms openedopensreopenedreopeningunopened

Derived forms clopeneye-openereye-openingfauxpenmisopennonopenopen-airedopen-backopen-bookopen-breastedopen-carryopen-cast

Appears in

Phrases (24)

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open window
A window that is in the open position, allowing air to flow through

Adjective + noun
open a letter
unseal and read a letter that has arrived

Verb + noun
open a store
To start operating a retail shop

Verb + noun
open a window
To move a window so that air can flow through it

Verb + noun
open one's mouth
to part the lips, especially to speak or eat

Verb + noun
open the door
to move a door to allow entry or passage

Verb + noun

Idioms (5)

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can of worms
Matching variant: open a can of worms

a complicated problem that causes trouble the moment it is touched
with open arms
with an enthusiastic and affectionate welcome
open the floodgates
To remove a restraint and allow something to increase rapidly, often beyond control.
Pandora's box
Matching variant: open Pandora's box

an action or situation that unleashes many unexpected and hard-to-control problems
open mouth, insert foot
used to describe saying something tactless or embarrassing

Proverbs (3)

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Etymology

Adjective from Middle English open, from Old English open (“open”), from Proto-West Germanic *opan, from Proto-Germanic *upanaz (“open”), from Proto-Indo-European *upo (“up from under, over”). Cognates * Scots apen (“open”) * Saterland Frisian eepen (“open”) * West Frisian iepen (“open”) * Cimbrian offe (“open”) * Dutch open (“open”) * German offen (“open”) * Vilamovian ufa, uffa (“open”) * Yiddish אָפֿן (ofn, “open”) * Danish åben (“open”) * Icelandic opinn (“open”) * Norwegian Bokmål åpen (“open”) * Norwegian Nynorsk open (“open”) * Swedish öppen (“open”) Compare also Latin supinus (“on one'…

open Old English *opan Proto-West Germanic *upanaz Proto-Germanic *upo Proto-Indo-European openen Middle English openian Old English *opanōn Proto-West Germanic *upanōną Proto-Germanic

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Topics

Describing Qualities

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# open

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈoʊ.pən/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈəʊ.pən/
**Frequency rank:** 335

## Meanings
1. Not shut; allowing things or people to pass through.
2. Ready to do business; receiving customers.
3. Available to everyone; not restricted.
4. Not yet filled or decided.
5. Honest and willing to share thoughts and feelings.

## Examples
- Leave the window open to let some air in.
- The shops are open until nine tonight.
- The competition is open to all ages.
- The job is still open.
- She was open about her doubts.

## Synonyms
- accessible
- begin
- reveal
- unimpeded
- unseal

## Antonyms
- bare
- checked
- closed
- closed-source
- proprietary
- shut

## Derived Forms
- clopen
- eye-opener
- eye-opening
- fauxpen
- misopen
- nonopen
- open-aired
- open-back
- open-book
- open-breasted
- open-carry
- open-cast

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: open
- Root: *opan
- Root: *upanaz
- Root: *upo
- Root: openen
- Root: openian
- Root: *opanōn
- Root: *upanōną

## Etymology
Adjective from Middle English open, from Old English open (“open”), from Proto-West Germanic *opan, from Proto-Germanic *upanaz (“open”), from Proto-Indo-European *upo (“up from under, over”). Cognates * Scots apen (“open”) * Saterland Frisian eepen (“open”) * West Frisian iepen (“open”) * Cimbrian offe (“open”) * Dutch open (“open”) * German offen (“open”) * Vilamovian ufa, uffa (“open”) * Yiddish אָפֿן (ofn, “open”) * Danish åben (“open”) * Icelandic opinn (“open”) * Norwegian Bokmål åpen (“open”) * Norwegian Nynorsk open (“open”) * Swedish öppen (“open”) Compare also Latin supinus (“on one'…

## AI Etymology
Open adjective from Middle English open, from Old English open (“open”), from Proto-West Germanic *opan, from Proto-Germanic *upanaz (“open”), from Proto-Indo-European *upo (“up from under, over”). Modern senses include not shut; allowing things or people to pass through and ready to do business; receiving customers. The wider word family includes derivatives such as clopen, eye-opener, eye-opening, fauxpen, misopen, and nonopen.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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open

Meanings

Thesaurus

Appears in

Phrases (24)

Idioms (5)

Proverbs (3)

Etymology

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