gripping

adjective

grip·​ping ˈgri-piŋ How to pronounce gripping (audio)
Synonyms of grippingnext
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
What should be a gripping thriller centered on new, uncharted technology and questionable loyalties degenerates into a jumbled mess. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 27 Dec. 2025 It was beautifully shot, well-acted, and gripping. Anastasia Sanger, Glamour, 22 Dec. 2025 Under, for the vast majority of the past 35 years or so, has barely even been close, let alone a gripping contest. Tim Spiers, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2025 In the film, a former photo editor at the Associated Press Saigon bureau reveals a secret he’s been haunted by for 52 years, setting off a gripping two-year investigation into the truth behind perhaps the Vietnam War’s most iconic photograph. Literary Hub, 19 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gripping

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gripping was in 1896

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gripping.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gripping. Accessed 30 Dec. 2025.

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