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

His gripping performance as a man who is brutally interrogated by two police officers was debated in the House of Commons. —Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 20 Feb. 2026

The documentary series offers a close, often humorous look at the gripping cat-and-mouse game between investigators and perpetrators. —Ed Meza, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026

This is a gripping thriller that tests the strength of two mothers with very different lives. —Amanda Favazza, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2026

By adjusting force in real time, robots may be able to interact more naturally with fragile objects and unpredictable environments without over-gripping, slipping, or misjudging contact. —New Atlas, 8 Feb. 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