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Showing results for gripping. Search instead for grippingly.
Synonyms

gripping

American  
[grip-ing] / ˈgrɪp ɪŋ /

adjective

  1. holding the attention or interest intensely; fascinating; enthralling.

    a gripping play; a gripping book.

Other Word Forms

  • grippingly adverb
  • grippingness noun

Etymology

Origin of gripping

First recorded in 1620–30; grip + -ing 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Gladka and the others stood with tears in their eyes, waving their hands and gripping giant Ukrainian flags.

From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026

See: A luxury ‘phobia’ is gripping these consumers.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 18, 2026

They practically melted in my mouth, pulling me back to childhood grocery store aisles, gripping a box of O’Ryan’s and begging my mom to bring them home.

From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026

But on lap 23, Leclerc made a late move on Hamilton into Turn 14 at the end of the back straight, setting off a gripping battle for the next 15 laps.

From BBC • Mar. 15, 2026

After a back-and-forth—Pia gripping the board with both hands—Marcus tried a different approach.

From "Look Both Ways" by Jason Reynolds

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.