Synonyms

gripping

American

[grip-ing] / ˈgrɪp ɪŋ /

adjective

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.

But the scores do not tell the story of a gripping competition that set new standards for an Olympic big air final.

From Barron's

Weston and Stoecker watched 14 other pairs go as the competition got increasingly exciting, building to a gripping finale.

From BBC

This year's fixture list has ensured another potentially gripping finale with Nuno's side ending their season at home to Leeds, who are presently six points clear of them.

From BBC

A highlight of the fall theater season was Robert Icke’s gripping “Oedipus,” which reimagined Sophocles’ most famous tragedy as a taut drama about a contemporary political dynasty.

From The Wall Street Journal

When I stand back up, Lily now firmly gripping my hand, Dad and Aunt Melissa have stopped arguing and are watching me, their foreheads crinkled in identical looks of concern.

From Literature

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