grip
Americannoun
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grips
plural
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the act of grasping; a seizing and holding fast; firm grasp.
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the power of gripping.
He has a strong grip.
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a grasp, hold, or control.
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mental or intellectual hold.
to have a good grip on a problem.
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competence or firmness in dealing with situations in one's work or personal affairs.
The boss is old and is losing his grip.
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a special mode of clasping hands.
Members of the club use the secret grip.
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something that seizes and holds, as a clutching device on a cable car.
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a handle or hilt.
That knife has a very unusual grip.
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a sudden, sharp pain; spasm of pain.
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Older Use. a small traveling bag.
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Theater. a stagehand, especially one who works on the stage floor.
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Movies, Television. a general assistant available on a film set for shifting scenery, moving furniture, etc.
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verb (used with object)
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grips,
present (3rd person singular)
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gripped,
past participle, past
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gript,
past participle, past (Archaic)
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gripping
present participle
verb (used without object)
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grips,
present (3rd person singular)
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gripped,
past participle, past
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gript,
past participle, past (Archaic)
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gripping
present participle
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to take firm hold; hold fast.
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to take hold on the mind.
idioms
noun
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the act or an instance of grasping and holding firmly
he lost his grip on the slope
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Also called: handgrip. the strength or pressure of such a grasp, as in a handshake
a feeble grip
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the style or manner of grasping an object, such as a tennis racket
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understanding, control, or mastery of a subject, problem, etc (esp in such phrases as get or have a grip on )
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Also called: handgrip. a part by which an object is grasped; handle
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Also called: handgrip. a travelling bag or holdall
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See hairgrip
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any device that holds by friction, such as certain types of brake
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a method of clasping or shaking hands used by members of secret societies to greet or identify one another
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a spasm of pain
a grip in one's stomach
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a worker in a camera crew or a stagehand who shifts sets and props, etc
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a small drainage channel cut above an excavation to conduct surface water away from the excavation
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(often foll by with)
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to deal with (a problem or subject)
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to tackle (an assailant)
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verb
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to take hold of firmly or tightly, as by a clutch
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to hold the interest or attention of
to grip an audience
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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gripsimple
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gripssimple
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have grippedperfect
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have griptperfect
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has grippedperfect
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has griptperfect
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am grippingprogressive
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are grippingprogressive
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is grippingprogressive
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have been grippingperfect progressive
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has been grippingperfect progressive
Past
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grippedsimple
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griptsimple
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had grippedperfect
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had griptperfect
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was grippingprogressive
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were grippingprogressive
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had been grippingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of grip
First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English gripe “grasp” (noun); cognate with German Griff, Old English gripa “handful”; see gripe
Explanation
To grip something is to hold it firmly. You might grip the TV remote to keep your roommate from trying to change the channel. When you want to hold on to something, you grip it. If your hands are strong and you can hold things well, you have a good grip. Grip is also the roughness or texture of something. A steering wheel has good grip if your hands don't slip while driving. This word can be also be used figuratively. If you’re upset, your friend might tell you to “get a grip” — that is, get a hold of yourself.
Vocabulary lists containing grip
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.
See Examples For:
“If I have too much of a vice grip on a scene and I can’t figure it out, I’ll do a jigsaw puzzle or draw while running the lines,” Seehorn says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Europe used to lead the pharmaceutical business, and while it’s still a considerable player, counting AstraZeneca, GSK, Novartis and Roche, its grip is slipping.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
Depending on the species, chelicerae can function as pincers or fangs that grip, pierce, or stab prey.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026
Egypt's leaders have struck a cautious note since, warning against any "escalation" in the conflict and discouraging "speculation" while keeping a tight grip on the media narrative.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
“It wouldn’t feel right to recognize one of these scholars without the other,” he goes on, and I grip the fabric of my skirt so hard I’m surprised it doesn’t tear.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
He’s tinkered with different grips for his changeup, a pitch he started deploying more in mid-May.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
The country is in the grips of a humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by the slashing of foreign assistance and the need to integrate millions of Afghans pushed back from neighbouring Iran and Pakistan.
From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026
‘Hysteria’ grips San Francisco’s housing market as AI wealth pours in.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
"In the first 100 days of government, we will establish a Town Centre taskforce that will get to grips with the challenges faced by businesses across sectors, particularly in hospitality and retail," a spokesperson said.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
He takes the microphone, grips it in his big hands.
From "Betty Before X" by Ilyasah Shabazz and Renée Watson
One gripped the badge of his red Spanish football shirt and cried: "Viva Espana!"
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
The duo were pioneers of the aerobics craze that gripped the nation during that decade and helped create the National Aerobic Championship.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
Intel slipped 7.9% despite reporting quarterly revenue above analyst estimates, as investors focused on the broader tech selloff that has gripped markets this week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
A female gripped the fish by its large tail fin, which provided a secure hold, while a male gained speed and charged toward them.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026
The guinea pig chuckled and gripped his cane tightly.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
He leapt into the water, That rover young and bold; He gript Earl Haldan's daughter, He shore her locks of gold; 'Go weep, go weep, proud maiden, The tale is full to-day.
From Westward Ho!, or, the voyages and adventures of Sir Amyas Leigh, Knight, of Burrough, in the county of Devon, in the reign of her most glorious majesty Queen Elizabeth by Kingsley, Charles
The thumbs should be locked, the knees slightly bent, and the edge of the diving-board gript well with the toes.
From Swimming Scientifically Taught A Practical Manual for Young and Old by Dalton, Frank Eugen
Well, altogether gript by the being of love.
From Emblems Of Love by Abercrombie, Lascelles
And he came half over the edge, and gript the Diskos by the handle, in an instant.
From The Night Land by Hodgson, William Hope
"We're rael sorry, and we know your heart was gript to him with grapplin's."
From The Deemster by Caine, Hall, Sir
She sat on a gray couch, gripping hands with her sister and brother.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
In between, violinist Randall Goosby brought richness to Barber’s Violin Concerto and the L.A. went in for gripping weirdness in “Sensemayá.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026
A gripping narrative that might change how you see alligators: Down in the manicured exurbs of Florida, what happens when someone spots an alligator next to their pool?
From Slate ● Jul. 9, 2026
The crowd rallied around speakers, which included several U.S. representatives from the Houston area as well as residents and advocates, gripping signs that called for ICE to leave the state, some with Salgado Araujo’s face.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
The statue in the huge chair was just as detailed—a man staring straight ahead, his hands gripping the armrests, with bracelets on his wrists and anklets above his bare feet.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
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.
