grip

1 of 2

verb

ˈgrip 

gripped; gripping

transitive verb

1

: to seize or hold firmly

gripped the door handle

2

: to hold the interest of strongly

a story that grips the reader

gripper noun

grip

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: a strong or tenacious grasp

had a good grip on the tennis racket

b

: strength in gripping

c

: manner or style of gripping

the balanced grip of an expert golfer

2

a

: a firm tenacious hold typically giving control or dominating influence

has the country in his grip

The country is in the grip of a recession.

b

: power of understanding : mental grasp

can't seem to get a grip on [=gain a good understanding of] calculus

… I'm curious to see if preteens have a grip on this fairly sophisticated concept.

—John Hoffman

c

: control of one's thoughts and emotions

—used in the phrases get a grip (on oneself) and lose one's grip

… until he actually fixes his turnover concerns, the fanbase will continue to be upset. In reality, though, fans need to get a grip.

—Nick Faria

I've never seen him so bewildered. He's losing his grip.

3

: a part or device for gripping

4

: a part by which something is grasped

especially : handle

5

: suitcase

6

a

: a stage worker who handles scenery, properties, or lights : stagehand

b

: a technician on a movie or television set who handles and maintains equipment (such as cameras and their dollies and cranes)

see also:

come to grips with

Synonyms of grip

Verb

• clutch
• hold
• clench
• grab

Noun

• suitcase
• wallet

Examples of grip in a Sentence

Verb

The little boy gripped his mother's hand tightly.

I gripped the door handle and pulled as hard as I could.

The story really grips the reader.

The scandal has gripped the nation.

Noun

His tennis instructor showed him the proper backhand grip.

a golfer with an incorrect grip

He has been doing all he can to maintain his grip on the company's finances.

I need new grips for my golf clubs.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The case has gripped television and online trial watchers after several witnesses testified that Clancy was a good and devoted mother for years before her mental health deteriorated after giving birth to her third child. — Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

More than a month after news of the stabbings in the small college town gripped the nation, Kohberger, then a PhD student of criminology at nearby Washington State University, was arrested in his home state of Pennsylvania. — Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026

Noun

On January 24, 2023, allegedly in the grip of this psychosis, Clancy strangled her three children, who were five years, three years, and eight months old, in the basement of their home in Duxbury, Massachusetts, an affluent suburb of Boston. — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026

The technique creates extra grip while maintaining a shiny exterior and preventing the bun from looking flat. — Marci Robin, Allure, 21 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English grippen, from Old English grippan; akin to Old English grīpan

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing grip

• death grip
• get a grip on
• have a grip
• in the grip of
• key grip
• loosen one's grip/hold
• lose one's grip
• losing his grip on reality
• pistol grip

Rhymes for grip

• blip
• chip
• clip
• dip
• drip
• flip
• grippe
• hip
• ip
• kip
• lip
• nip

Kids Definition

grip

1 of 2 verb

ˈgrip 

gripped; gripping

1

: to seize firmly

2

: to hold strongly the interest of

the story grips the reader

grip

2 of 2 noun

1

a

: a firm grasp

b

: strength in gripping

c

: a way of clasping the hand by which members of a secret society recognize or greet one another

2

a

: a firm hold giving control

in the grip of winter

b

: comprehension sense 3, understanding

3

: a part or device for gripping or by which something is grasped

especially : handle entry 1 sense 1

4

: suitcase