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 gripping, yet cozy, mystery follows a teen with an uncanny time travel ability, who goes to great lengths to solve his grandfather’s murder. Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025 This year also gave us One Battle After Another, a gripping epic powered by the dynamic trio of Teyana Taylor, Regina Hall, and breakout newcomer Chase Infiniti. Okla Jones, Essence, 9 Dec. 2025 Nebraska is a complicated, gripping, and honest depiction of rural gay life in mid-century America. Emma Alpern, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025 The first volume featured four gripping episodes featuring a return to Hawkins and the group's fight to take down Vecna. Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Dec. 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 16 Dec. 2025.

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