Synonyms of gripping

gripping 1 of 2

adjective

as in interesting

holding the attention or provoking interest

I found the exhibit on the Holocaust intensely gripping and quite moving

Synonyms & Similar Words

• interesting
• engaging
• intriguing
• fascinating
• absorbing
• exciting
• riveting
• engrossing
• involving
• provocative
• enthralling
• consuming
• entertaining
• arresting
• inspiring
• amazing
• immersing
• amusing
• thrilling
• exhilarating
• electrifying
• electric
• enchanting
• attractive
• breathtaking
• striking
• tantalizing
• unusual
• rousing
• stimulating
• charming
• stirring
• galvanizing
• alluring
• astonishing
• emphatic
• captivating
• showy
• spellbinding
• surprising
• wonderful
• wondrous
• mesmerizing
• eventful
• bewitching
• curious
• hypnotizing
• astounding
• splashy
• marvelous
• weird
• odd
• eye-opening
• fabulous

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dry
• heavy
• tedious
• boring
• dull
• uninteresting
• monotonous
• drab
• tiresome
• wearisome
• tiring
• sterile
• unexciting
• wearying
• discouraging
• pedestrian
• dreary
• humdrum
• demoralizing
• operose
• pedantic
• dispiriting
• disheartening

gripping

2 of 2

verb

present participle of grip

1

as in clenching

to have or keep in one's hands

gripped the handlebars tightly and raced down the hill

Synonyms & Similar Words

• clenching
• clutching
• holding
• grabbing
• carrying
• clinging (to)
• cradling
• taking
• holding on to
• handling
• grasping
• hanging on to
• capturing
• hugging
• clasping
• trapping
• snatching
• seizing
• grappling
• bagging
• hooking
• feeling
• fingering
• catching
• nailing
• snapping (up)
• pawing
• latching (on or onto)
• landing
• embracing
• snaring
• bearing
• corralling
• collaring
• nabbing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• giving
• handing
• dropping
• unclasping
• delivering
• rendering
• yielding
• releasing
• relinquishing
• unhanding
• handing out
• giving up
• turning over
• ceding
• handing over

2

as in fascinating

to hold the attention of as if by a spell

that true crime story gripped me as much as any whodunit

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fascinating
• enchanting
• thrilling
• mesmerizing
• spellbinding
• arresting
• hypnotizing
• enthralling
• catching up
• bedazzling
• engrossing
• charming
• entrancing
• engaging
• involving
• bewitching
• enrapturing
• absorbing
• beguiling

3

as in intriguing

to hold the attention of

that movie will grip any true sports car fan

Synonyms & Similar Words

• interesting
• intriguing
• fascinating
• immersing
• occupying
• involving
• engrossing
• engaging
• attracting
• absorbing
• busying
• enthralling
• enchanting
• distracting
• enwrapping
• captivating
• bemusing
• preoccupying
• charming
• mesmerizing
• catching one's eye
• catching up
• bewitching
• obsessing
• alluring
• hypnotizing
• beguiling
• monopolizing
• hogging

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• boring
• tiring
• wearying
• jading
• palling

4

as in grasping

to reach for and take hold of by embracing with the fingers or arms

the baby gripped my fingers and wouldn't let go

Synonyms & Similar Words

• grasping
• holding
• taking
• clasping
• clenching
• clutching
• hanging on to
• laying hold of
• catching
• clinging (to)
• holding on (to)
• snatching
• seizing
• nabbing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• freeing
• releasing
• liberating
• discharging
• dropping
• giving
• delivering
• transmitting
• passing
• transferring
• handing
• relinquishing
• entrusting
• turning over
• handing over
• unhanding

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of gripping

Adjective

Zookeepers nursed him and gave him the toy to develop his gripping ability, something newborn macaques need to survive. — ABC News, 25 July 2026

His gripping and meticulously researched book tells the story of an audacious operation by charting the exploits of both the perpetrators and the investigators. — Monitor Reviewers, Christian Science Monitor, 23 July 2026

Verb

Compounding the threat were persistent drought conditions and unusually warm temperatures gripping much of the Pacific Northwest. — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026

What the foot is really good for is gripping things and staying there, vacuum-sealing the ab to a substrate with a force many times its own bodyweight. — Literary Hub, 29 July 2026