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.
The film concludes with a gripping interview with Hansen, the Emmy-winning charismatic face of the show who has built a cottage industry out of Predator and its spinoffs. Jason Newman, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2025 The streamer will give this gripping and intense film — which is a cautionary letter about the nuclear stockpile across the world — a theatrical, qualifying play in theaters starting October 10. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 19 Sep. 2025 The gripping film is based on Olivier Guez’s bestselling novel by the same name which won the prestigious Renaudot Prize in 2017 in France and was published in more than 30 countries. Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 19 Sep. 2025 The unnerving way that director De Jarnatt follows how one phone call can escalate into total citywide madness is supremely gripping. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 19 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 21 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on gripping

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!