gripping

1 of 2

adjective

grip·​ping ˈgri-piŋ 

: 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

gripping

2 of 2

present participle of grip entry 1

Examples of gripping in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Hoover’s 2018 novel, Verity, is a gripping mystery where trust is elusive and the line between fiction and reality blurs. — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026

Empires is surreal and gripping, a novelist’s telling of the disorientation and violence of imperial conquest. — James Folta, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026

Look for bath mats that could be placed on top of other mats with a strong gripping surface on the bottom, or find a novelty bath mat that features an excellent nonslip base. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026

The bestselling author of A Fable for the End of the World and A Study in Drowning focuses her newest book on a cast of characters whose roles entangle to create a gripping story. — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1896, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for gripping

• chipping
• clipping
• dipping
• dripping
• flipping
• nipping
• ripping
• shipping
• sipping
• skipping
• slipping
• snipping