gripe

[ grahyp ]

verb (used without object)

, griped, grip·ing.

1. Informal. to complain naggingly or constantly; grumble.

   Synonyms: bellyache, rail, carp, mutter, whine

2. to suffer pain in the bowels.
3. Nautical. (of a sailing vessel) to tend to come into the wind; to be ardent.

verb (used with object)

, griped, grip·ing.

1. Informal. to annoy or irritate:

   His tone of voice gripes me.

2. to produce pain in (the bowels) as if by constriction.
3. to distress, afflict, or oppress:

   poverty that gripes and pinches us.

4. Nautical. to secure (a lifeboat) to a deck or against a pudding boom on davits.
5. Archaic.
   1. to seize and hold firmly with the hand, claws, etc.; grasp; clutch.
   2. to greedily take possession of and hold tightly:

      The miser gripes his money for fear of losing it.

noun

1. Informal. a nagging complaint.
2. Usually gripes. Pathology. an intermittent spasmodic pain in the bowels.
3. something that grips or clutches; a claw or grip.
4. Nautical.
   1. a lashing or chain by which a boat is secured to a deck or in position on davits.
   2. Also called gripe piece. a curved timber connecting the stem or cutwater of a wooden hull with the keel.
   3. the exterior angle or curve formed by this piece; forefoot.
   4. the forward end of the dished keel of a metal hull.
5. Archaic.
   1. the act of gripping, grasping, or clutching.
   2. a firm hold; clutch.
   3. mastery; hold; control.
6. Rare. a handle, hilt, etc.

gripe

/ ɡraɪp /

verb

1. informal.
   intr to complain, esp in a persistent nagging manner
2. to cause sudden intense pain in the intestines of (a person) or (of a person) to experience this pain
3. intr nautical (of a ship) to tend to come up into the wind in spite of the helm
4. archaic.
   to clutch; grasp
5. archaic.
   tr to afflict

noun

1. usually plural a sudden intense pain in the intestines; colic
2. informal.
   a complaint or grievance
3. rare.
   1. the act of gripping
   2. a firm grip
   3. a device that grips
4. in plural nautical the lashings that secure a boat

Derived Forms

• ˈgriper, noun
• ˈgripingly, adverb

Other Words From

• grip·er noun
• gripe·ful adjective
• grip·ing·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of gripe¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English gripen, Old English grīpan; cognate with Dutch grijpen, German griefen; grip, grope

Word History and Origins

Origin of gripe¹

Old English grīpan; related to Gothic greipan, Old High German grīfan to seize, Lithuanian greibiu

Example Sentences

Though he did not specify to the Times whether Simon’s gripe was with his scathing 2015 comments, Garfunkel admitted to the Times, “I was a fool.”

From Los Angeles Times

Garcia, who was elected in 2020 and is running for reelection, last month he did a substantive interview on the podcast Butthurt Owens Valley, which is named after a red-leaning Facebook group where locals gossip and gripe.

From Los Angeles Times

Another gripe linked to the amount of space people have on planes is double armrest hogging.

From BBC

His biggest gripe is with the “No More Parties In L.A.” rapper’s removal of the glazing of the floors.

From Los Angeles Times

They find it easier to gripe about IVF because it's still a technology used by only a small fraction of the population.

From Salon

Related Words

• carp
• grumble
• moan
• murmur
• mutter
• nag
• squawk