Body Language of Jaw Drop or Jaw Droop
Cue: Jaw Drop or Jaw Droop
Synonym(s): Dropping The Jaw.
Description: A facial expression where the mouth or jaw seems to unhinge and drop down.
In One Sentence: The jaw drop indicates shock or awe.
How To Use it: Drop the jaw when you want to show others that you are surprised by what you have heard or seen.
Context: General.
Verbal Translation: “My jaw is dropping because I can’t believe what I’m seeing – oh my god!”
Variant: See the Surprised Facial Expression.
Cue In Action: The two sisters were calling each other bad names back and forth when out of nowhere one of the girls dropped the f-bomb cuss. Her mom had been passively listening until then, but when the nasty word came out, she dropped her jaw in shock.
Meaning and/or Motivation: It signifies surprise, uncertainty or puzzlement.
To visualize the expression imagine a child lost in a crowd or a person entering an unfamiliar and threatening setting such as a dark alley – their jaws drop and a worried expression comes across their face.
Cue Cluster: The eyes often pop out or flash along with the eyes and the head sometimes drops slack forward.
Body Language Category: Confused, Microexpressions, Surprised body language.