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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The franchise has mostly been a celebration of car culture and the locale rather than an immersive and gripping narrative. Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 2 June 2026 With spare, gripping sentences, Cagnati tells a sobering tale of suffering and tenderness. The Know, Denver Post, 31 May 2026 So far, Season 4 has been very strong, giving us just enough in the way of new information and clues to keep things gripping and tense. Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 29 May 2026 In the main story campaign set in the Korean Peninsula, Private Park, a young Korean grunt soldier, is thrust into combat for the first time, as he and his squad are forced to overcome impossible odds in a gripping zero to hero journey. Jennifer Maas, Variety, 28 May 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gripping.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gripping. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.

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