gripe

verb

\ˈgrīp

griped; griping

Definition of gripe

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 archaic : seize, grasp

2a : afflict, distress

b : irritate, vex griped by the new regulations

3 : to cause pinching and spasmodic pain in the bowels of

intransitive verb

1 : to experience gripes

2 : to complain with grumbling Students griped about having too much homework.

gripe

noun

Definition of gripe (Entry 2 of 2)

1 archaic : clutch, grasp broadly : control, mastery

2 : a pinching spasmodic intestinal pain —usually used in plural

3 : grievance, complaint Her main gripe was his utter lack of ambition.

Other Words from gripe Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about gripe

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Examples of gripe in a Sentence

Verb

All of the workers were griping about the new regulations. The students griped that they had too much homework.

Noun

I would rather not listen to gripes about your latest disasters in the dating game.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Forced to divide his time in the engine room as well as doing his duties on the deck, the four guys stuck doing all the heavy lifting can’t help but gripe about the fact that Tony isn’t pulling his weight, despite what’s going on below deck. — Tyler Mccarthy, Fox News, "'Deadliest Catch' Season 14, Episode 14 recap: Tensions rise as crews members misbehave," 10 July 2018 Let’s make a midweek holiday something to cherish instead of something to gripe about. — Nestor Ramos, BostonGlobe.com, "The Fourth of July falls on a Wednesday this year. And that presents some . . . challenges," 2 July 2018 For now, the Liberty seem disinclined to gripe about being relocated from a world famous arena to a facility that also hosts a reptile expo and a seminar on knife fighting. — Seth Berkman, New York Times, "The Liberty, in Transition, Make a New Home in the Suburbs," 19 May 2018 Source: Second Measure Whole Foods’ new delivery service has led some customers to gripe. — Laura Stevens, WSJ, "Attention, Amazon Prime Members Who Shop at Whole Foods: You’re in Luck," 16 June 2018 When less commercial artists win the big awards -- think Steely Dan and Herbie Hancock winning Album of the Year -- music fans gripe. — Robert Levine, Billboard, "The Recording Academy Seeks New Leader, But For What Exactly? (Column)," 12 June 2018 Former devotees routinely gripe on social media that the software has become too difficult to use. — Dina Bass And Nate Lanxon, chicagotribune.com, "Don't skype me: How Microsoft turned consumers against a beloved brand," 14 May 2018 And institutional-minded lawmakers will certainly gripe that any changes that strip away majority power would make the House function more like the Senate, with its complex rules that protect the minority. — Lisa Mascaro, The Christian Science Monitor, "Centrist House members see opportunity with Ryan's retirement," 7 June 2018 One of the many things Bostonians love to argue (or gripe) about is the layout of the city. — Nina Maclaughlin, BostonGlobe.com, "Book design by icon king Chermayeff; New England Society book awards;," 25 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

In the Comey situation, both sides had gripes with the FBI's Clinton email investigation. — Amber Phillips, Washington Post, "Trump’s flimsy case for firing Rod Rosenstein," 11 Apr. 2018 Unlike other members walking away this cycle, Ros-Lehtinen doesn't have a list of gripes about her job, the hours, the fundraising, the endless mix of meetings. — CNN, "Republicans explain in their own words why they are leaving Congress," 26 May 2018 But, during the trip, the gripes began to bubble up — about the cuts in education and social services made by the state legislature, the way the energy industry has a lock on state government. — Washington Post, "Resisting Trump in a bright red state," 26 May 2018 Nonetheless, the demonstrations continued, suggesting that the pension fiasco was only one of the public’s gripes. — The Economist, "The violent end of Daniel Ortega’s decade of quiet," 26 Apr. 2018 One of Gruden's gripes is how the collective bargaining agreement limits his contact with players during the off season. — Bud Shaw, cleveland.com, "Can Baker Mayfield rise above Manziel-sized doubts? -- Bud Shaw's Spinoffs," 20 Feb. 2018 Standing behind the bar, watching the dancers gyrate, Flynt heard gripes about girlfriends and wives, bosses and politicians. — Cincinnati Enquirer, "Read more from this Project," 13 July 2018 Their main gripe is that Dreamers could eventually qualify for green cards and thus have a pathway to citizenship. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "Trump’s Immigration Choice," 20 June 2018 While the speech offered little new policy, Xi affirmed or expanded on proposals to increase imports, lower foreign-ownership limits on manufacturing and expand protection to intellectual property -- all central issues in Trump’s trade gripes. — Chris Stirewalt, Fox News, "What firing Mueller would mean for the GOP," 10 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gripe.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.