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
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This is Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy, a gripping portrait of a young prince caught between action and inaction, grief and rage, truth and deception. Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2026 As one of South Africa’s most daring new voices, Meekaeel Adam makes his directorial debut in this gripping story, set in 1846, of a Dutch-Afrikaans family and their British benefactor who make the perilous journey across the Kalahari Desert, watched over by two shapeshifting spirits. Thinus Ferreira, Variety, 6 Mar. 2026 The spline structure inside the nuts, the non-fixed gripping posture, and interference from magnetic forces significantly increased assembly complexity. Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Mar. 2026 The most agonizing and gripping sections of the book for me are the poet’s raw observations about where selflessness can lead you (as in Kimon’s exploitation by his culture, and younger writers) and how self-interest can be a kind of armor. Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026 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

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Cite this Entry

“Gripping.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gripping. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.

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