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

On paper at least, the entire saga reads like a drama that could make for a gripping and timely examination of one of Silicon Valley’s most powerful executives. — Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 23 June 2026

The most gripping moments occur when Wiki turns inward. — Lei Takanashi, Pitchfork, 16 June 2026

In several photos and videos posted on social media, the 30-year-old can be seen descending the sheer face of the crater and gripping handholds while performing various acrobatic tricks before falling into the volcanic waters below. — Drew Pittock, USA Today, 15 June 2026

What ensues is a gripping game of cat-and-mouse presented from the preying perspectives of both Gibson and Spector. — Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 15 June 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