gripe

American  

[grahyp] / graɪp /

verb (used without object)

griped, griping

1. Informal. to complain naggingly or constantly; grumble.

   Synonyms:

   bellyache, rail, carp, mutter, whine

2. to suffer pain in the bowels.

3. Nautical. (of a sailing vessel) to tend to come into the wind; to be ardent.

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verb (used with object)

griped, griping

1. Informal. to annoy or irritate.

   His tone of voice gripes me.

2. to produce pain in (the bowels) as if by constriction.

3. to distress, afflict, or oppress.

   poverty that gripes and pinches us.

4. Nautical. to secure (a lifeboat) to a deck or against a pudding boom on davits.

5. Archaic.

   1. to seize and hold firmly with the hand, claws, etc.; grasp; clutch.

   2. to greedily take possession of and hold tightly.

      The miser gripes his money for fear of losing it.

noun

1. Informal. a nagging complaint.

2. Pathology. Usually gripes. an intermittent spasmodic pain in the bowels.

3. something that grips or clutches; a claw or grip.

4. Nautical.

   1. a lashing or chain by which a boat is secured to a deck or in position on davits.

   2. Also called gripe piece.  a curved timber connecting the stem or cutwater of a wooden hull with the keel.

   3. the exterior angle or curve formed by this piece; forefoot.

   4. the forward end of the dished keel of a metal hull.

5. Archaic.

   1. the act of gripping, grasping, or clutching.

   2. a firm hold; clutch.

   3. mastery; hold; control.

6. Rare. a handle, hilt, etc.

gripe British  

/ ɡraɪp /

verb

1. informal (intr) to complain, esp in a persistent nagging manner

2. to cause sudden intense pain in the intestines of (a person) or (of a person) to experience this pain

3. (intr) nautical (of a ship) to tend to come up into the wind in spite of the helm

4. archaic to clutch; grasp

5. archaic (tr) to afflict

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noun

1. (usually plural) a sudden intense pain in the intestines; colic

2. informal a complaint or grievance

3. rare

   1. the act of gripping

   2. a firm grip

   3. a device that grips

4. (in plural) nautical the lashings that secure a boat

Other Word Forms

• gripeful adjective
• griper noun
• gripingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of gripe

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English gripen, Old English grīpan; cognate with Dutch grijpen, German griefen; grip, grope

Explanation

The word gripe, as both noun and verb, refers to a minor complaint. Why gripe about the size of the portions when the food is so awful? The key to gripe is that as complaints go, it's trivial. You don't gripe about your house burning down or the cost of medical care. You gripe about your friend's status updates and the fact the Yankees have too much money. A gripe can last a while. For example, the city has been hearing gripes about parking rules for a generation, but as complaints go, it's just not getting a lot of traction. One person's gripe, however, can be another person's major headache. It all depends on your point of view.

Example Sentences

In the 1980s and 1990s, the gripe was “stick to reading, writing and ‘rithmetic,” which implies hostility toward expanding those lessons to more complex ideas like literary analysis, critical thinking, and higher math and sciences.

From Salon • Mar. 30, 2026

Or for that matter, someone who needs his hand held all the time—a common employer gripe about recent grads.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 8, 2026

Her biggest gripe was having to cook at home almost every day after work.

From Barron's • Dec. 31, 2025

It is understood that Maresca's gripe, which he is unwilling to explain, remains unresolved.

From BBC • Dec. 15, 2025

Mark would gripe so much that he'd make everyone miserable.

From "Among the Hidden" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Related Words

• carp
• grumble
• moan
• murmur
• mutter
• nag
• squawk