gripping

adjective

grip·​ping ˈgri-piŋ 

: taking a powerful hold upon one's interest or feelings

a gripping thriller

Shabba Ranks has a gripping baritone voice that ranges from bedroom purr to locker-room-boast roar.

—Mark Coleman

grippingly adverb

a grippingly honest performance

Examples of gripping in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Look out for talks by Sarah Wynn-Williams on her bestselling memoir lifting the lid on her time at Facebook; Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall discussing his campaign to get people to eat more fibre; and Anthony Horowitz talking about his latest gripping thriller with author Joe Haddow. —Irenie Forshaw, TheWeek, 26 Mar. 2026

This is without a doubt the most gripping season yet. —Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 25 Mar. 2026

To some readers, these topics may sound boring, but in the right hands, hard science fiction can prove as gripping and immersive as the best stories in any genre. —Tim Brinkhof, Big Think, 24 Mar. 2026

The ways of the ultra-wealthy come under scrutiny in the gripping three-part documentary series The Oligarch and the Art Dealer, directed by Andreas Dalsgaard. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 21 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for gripping

• chipping
• clipping
• dipping
• dripping
• flipping
• nipping
• ripping
• shipping
• sipping
• skipping
• slipping
• snipping