gripping

adjective

grip·​ping ˈgri-piŋ How to pronounce gripping (audio)
: 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.
Watch Rye Lane on Hulu Boston Strangler Based on the gripping true story, this 2023 historical crime thriller stars Keira Knightley and Carrie Coon as Boston Record-American reporters Loretta McLaughlin and Jean Cole, respectively. Hannah Kerns, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025 The gripping survival thriller dramatizes the real-life story of a school bus driver and teacher who guided 22 children to safety during the devastating 2018 Camp Fire in Northern California that claimed 85 lives and destroyed more than 18,000 structures. Clayton Davis, Variety, 6 Sep. 2025 Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett star in what certainly looks like a gripping spy thriller. Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025 Snowy Day is full of clear, gripping, and suspenseful plots. Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 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 10 Sep. 2025.

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