grip

American  

[grip] / grɪp /

noun

1. the act of grasping; a seizing and holding fast; firm grasp.

2. the power of gripping.

   He has a strong grip.

3. a grasp, hold, or control.

4. mental or intellectual hold.

   to have a good grip on a problem.

5. competence or firmness in dealing with situations in one's work or personal affairs.

   The boss is old and is losing his grip.

6. a special mode of clasping hands.

   Members of the club use the secret grip.

7. something that seizes and holds, as a clutching device on a cable car.

8. a handle or hilt.

   That knife has a very unusual grip.

9. a sudden, sharp pain; spasm of pain.

10. grippe.

11. Older Use. a small traveling bag.

12. 1. Theater. a stagehand, especially one who works on the stage floor.

    2. Movies, Television. a general assistant available on a film set for shifting scenery, moving furniture, etc.

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verb (used with object)

grips, present (3rd person singular) gripped, past participle, past gript, past participle, past gripping present participle

1. to grasp or seize firmly; hold fast.

   We gripped the sides of the boat as the waves tossed us about.

2. to take hold on; hold the interest of.

   to grip the mind.

   Synonyms:

   fascinate, hold, rivet, attract, impress

3. to attach by a grip or clutch.

verb (used without object)

grips, present (3rd person singular) gripped, past participle, past gript, past participle, past gripping present participle

1. to take firm hold; hold fast.

2. to take hold on the mind.

idioms

1. come to grips with,

   1. to encounter; meet; cope with.

      She had never come to grips with such a situation before.

   2. to deal with directly or firmly.

      We didn't come to grips with the real problem.

grip ¹ British  

/ ɡrɪp /

noun

1. the act or an instance of grasping and holding firmly

   he lost his grip on the slope

2. Also called: handgrip.  the strength or pressure of such a grasp, as in a handshake

   a feeble grip

3. the style or manner of grasping an object, such as a tennis racket

4. understanding, control, or mastery of a subject, problem, etc (esp in such phrases as get or have a grip on )

5. Also called: handgrip.  a part by which an object is grasped; handle

6. Also called: handgrip.  a travelling bag or holdall

7. See hairgrip

8. any device that holds by friction, such as certain types of brake

9. a method of clasping or shaking hands used by members of secret societies to greet or identify one another

10. a spasm of pain

    a grip in one's stomach

11. a worker in a camera crew or a stagehand who shifts sets and props, etc

12. a small drainage channel cut above an excavation to conduct surface water away from the excavation

13. (often foll by with)

    1. to deal with (a problem or subject)

    2. to tackle (an assailant)

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verb

1. to take hold of firmly or tightly, as by a clutch

2. to hold the interest or attention of

   to grip an audience

grip ² British  

/ ɡrɪp /

noun

1. med a variant spelling of grippe

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grip More Idioms  

1. see come to grips with; get a grip on; lose one's grip.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• gripless
  adjective
• ungrip
  verb
• regrip
  verb
• gripper
  noun
• grippingly
  adverb

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have gripped
  perfect
• has gript
  perfect 3rd person singular
• has gripped
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have gript
  perfect
• am gripping
  progressive 1st person singular
• has been gripping
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• are gripping
  progressive
• have been gripping
  perfect progressive
• grips
  singular 3rd person
• is gripping
  progressive 3rd person singular
• gripping
  participle

Past

• had gript
  perfect
• had gripped
  perfect
• had been gripping
  perfect progressive
• gript
  simple
• was gripping
  progressive singular
• were gripping
  progressive plural
• gript
  participle
• gripped
  simple
• gripped
  participle

Future

• will grip
  simple
• will have gripped
  perfect
• will have gript
  perfect
• will have been gripping
  perfect progressive
• will be gripping
  progressive

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.

Example Sentences

Only now is the government getting a better grip on actual price trends in rents and homeownership because of technical problems caused by the shutdown.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026

Once they’re in our grip, we hum on pleasant nervous energy all weekend, watching the sky turn lilac at dusk, eating Taiwanese takeout from around the corner, wondering when things will return to normal.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

Russell struggled for grip throughout the session and never looked likely to get into the fight for pole, and he ended up 0.394secs behind his team-mate.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

The Office of Strategic Capital, the Pentagon division that made the deal with Vulcan, aims to address a bipartisan concern: that China’s grip on rare-earth elements and other critical minerals threatens national security.

From Salon • May 31, 2026

Slowly, slowly, he began to edge along, using his hands to grip at the rough stone wall as he went.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

Related Words

• control
• domination
• grasp
• influence