Grip — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈgrip/

Meaning & Definition of Grip

Grip (verb)

  1. to seize or hold firmly
  2. to hold the interest of strongly

Grip (noun)

  1. a strong or tenacious grasp
  2. strength in gripping
  3. manner or style of gripping

Grip (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a bag carried by hand and designed to hold a traveler's clothing and personal articles

    "she placed her grip in the train's overhead rack and seated herself comfortably"

    similar: carry-on, carryall, handbag, holdall (chiefly British), portmanteau, suitcase, traveling bag, wallet
    related: overnight bag, weekend bag, weekender, cosmetic case, traveling case, carpetbag, duffel bag, kit, kit bag, backpack, haversack, knapsack, packsack, rucksack, attaché, attaché case, briefcase, valise, baggage, bags, luggage

  2. the act or manner of holding

    "get a better grip on the lid and try to open the jar again"

    similar: clasp, clench, grapple, grasp, handgrip, handhold, hold
    related: anchorage, leverage, purchase, grab, seizure, foothold, footing, toehold, clinch, embrace, hug
    near: release, relinquishment

  3. the knowledge gained from the process of coming to know or understand something

    "he has a good grip on basic Spanish grammar and spelling"

    similar: appreciation, apprehension, comprehension, grasp, hold, perception, percipience, understanding
    related: absorption, assimilation, digestion, uptake, conception, visualization, awareness, consciousness, enlightenment, realization
    opposite: incomprehension, noncomprehension
    near: misapprehension, miscomprehension, misinterpretation, misperception, misunderstanding

  4. the right or means to command or control others

    "a tyrant that keeps the masses tightly in his grip"

    similar: arm, authority, clutch, command, control, death grip, dominion, hold, mastery, power, reign, rein(s), sway
    related: clout, influence, leverage, pull, voice, weight, jurisdiction, direction, management, dominance, imperium, predominance, sovereignty, supremacy, prerogative, privilege, right, eminence, importance, moment
    opposite: impotence, impotency, powerlessness
    near: helplessness, weakness

  5. a part by which an implement is held

    "bought new pots with heat-resistant grips"

    similar: haft, handgrip, handle, helve
    related: bar, handlebar, bail, bow, loop, hilt, shaft, crop, whipstock, broomstick

Grip (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to have or keep in one's hands

    "gripped the handlebars tightly and raced down the hill"

    similar: clench, cling (to), clutch, hold, hang on to, hold on to
    related: bear, carry, bag, capture, catch, collar, corral, grab, grapple, hook, land, latch (on or onto), nab, nail, seize, snap (up), snare, snatch, take, trap, feel, finger, handle, paw, clasp, embrace, grasp, hug, cradle
    near: drop, give, hand, unclasp, unhand, cede, deliver, give up, hand out, hand over, release, relinquish, render, turn over, yield

  2. to hold the attention of as if by a spell

    "that true crime story gripped me as much as any whodunit"

    similar: arrest, bedazzle, catch up, enchant, enthrall, fascinate, hypnotize, mesmerize, spellbind
    related: enrapture, entrance, thrill, beguile, bewitch, charm, absorb, engage, engross, involve

  3. to hold the attention of

    "that movie will grip any true sports car fan"

    similar: absorb, bemuse, busy, catch up, engage, engross, enthrall, enwrap, fascinate, immerse, interest, intrigue, involve, occupy, catch one's eye
    related: allure, attract, beguile, bewitch, captivate, charm, enchant, obsess, hypnotize, mesmerize, distract, preoccupy, hog, monopolize
    near: bore, jade, pall, tire, weary

  4. to reach for and take hold of by embracing with the fingers or arms

    "the baby gripped my fingers and wouldn't let go"

    similar: clasp, grasp, hold, take, hang on to, lay hold of
    related: clench, cling (to), clutch, hold on (to), catch, nab, seize, snatch
    near: discharge, drop, free, liberate, release, deliver, entrust, give, hand, hand over, pass, relinquish, transfer, transmit, turn over, unhand

Related Entry: Gripe (noun)

Gripe is a different word from Grip. The synonyms below are for gripe, not for grip.

  1. an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment

    "I would rather not listen to gripes about your latest disasters in the dating game"

    similar: beef, bitch, bleat, carp, complaint, fuss, grievance, grouch, grouse, grumble, holler, kvetch, lament, miserere, moan, murmur, plaint, squawk, wail, whimper, whine, whinge (British), yammer
    related: challenge, demur, expostulation, kick, niggle (chiefly British), objection, protest, quibble, remonstrance, stink
    near: commendation, compliment, plaudit, acclaim, applause, praise, approval, endorsement, sanction

Related Entry: Death grip (noun)

Death grip is a different word from Grip. The synonyms below are for death grip, not for grip.

  1. the right or means to command or control others

    "the cult leader had such a death grip on his followers that all orders were carried out without the slightest objection"

    similar: arm, authority, clutch, command, control, dominion, grip, hold, mastery, power, reign, rein(s), sway
    related: clout, influence, leverage, pull, voice, weight, jurisdiction, direction, management, dominance, imperium, predominance, sovereignty, supremacy, prerogative, privilege, right, eminence, importance, moment
    opposite: impotence, impotency, powerlessness
    near: helplessness, weakness

Related Entry: Have a grip on (phrase)

Have a grip on is a different word from Grip. The synonyms below are for have a grip on, not for grip.

  1. to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently

    "After getting a tutor he finally has a grip on trigonometry."

    similar: address, contend (with), cope (with), field, grapple (with), hack, handle, manage, maneuver, manipulate, negotiate, play, swing, take, treat, come to grips with
    related: engineer, finesse, jockey, bring off, carry off, carry out, get off, pull, command, direct, guide, steer, control, micromanage, regulate, run, react (to), respond (to)
    near: botch, bungle, foozle, fumble, goof (up), louse up, mess (up), mishandle, muff, scamp

Related Entry: Had a grip on (phrase)

Had a grip on is a different word from Grip. The synonyms below are for had a grip on, not for grip.

  1. to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently

    "After getting a tutor he finally has a grip on trigonometry."

    similar: addressed, contended (with), coped (with), fielded, grappled (with), hacked, handled, managed, maneuvered, manipulated, negotiated, played, swung, took, treated, came to grips with
    related: engineered, finessed, jockeyed, brought off, carried off, carried out, got off, pulled, commanded, directed, guided, steered, controlled, micromanaged, ran, regulated, reacted (to), responded (to)
    near: botched, bungled, foozled, fumbled, goofed (up), loused up, messed (up), mishandled, muffed, scamped

Related Entry: Has a grip on (phrase)

Has a grip on is a different word from Grip. The synonyms below are for has a grip on, not for grip.

  1. to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently

    "After getting a tutor he finally has a grip on trigonometry."

    similar: addresses, contends (with), copes (with), fields, grapples (with), hacks, handles, manages, maneuvers, manipulates, negotiates, plays, swings, takes, treats, comes to grips with
    related: engineers, finesses, jockeys, brings off, carries off, carries out, gets off, pulls, commands, directs, guides, steers, controls, micromanages, regulates, runs, reacts (to), responds (to)
    near: botches, bungles, foozles, fumbles, goofs (up), louses up, messes (up), mishandles, muffs, scamps

Related Entry: Having a grip on (phrase)

Having a grip on is a different word from Grip. The synonyms below are for having a grip on, not for grip.

  1. to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently

    "After getting a tutor he finally has a grip on trigonometry."

    similar: addressing, contending (with), coping (with), fielding, grappling (with), hacking, handling, managing, maneuvering, manipulating, negotiating, playing, swinging, taking, treating, coming to grips with
    related: engineering, finessing, jockeying, bringing off, carrying off, carrying out, getting off, pulling, commanding, directing, guiding, steering, controlling, micromanaging, regulating, running, reacting (to), responding (to)
    near: botching, bungling, foozling, fumbling, goofing (up), lousing up, messing (up), mishandling, muffing, scamping

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Grip

The most common words with a similar meaning to Grip:

Chiefly British: holdall
carry-on, carryall, handbag, portmanteau, suitcase, traveling bag, wallet, clasp, clench, grapple, grasp, handgrip, handhold, hold, appreciation, apprehension, comprehension, perception, percipience, understanding, arm, authority, clutch, command, control, death grip, dominion, mastery, power, reign, rein(s), sway, haft, handle, helve, cling (to), arrest, bedazzle, catch up, enchant

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Grip

Words with the opposite meaning of Grip:

incomprehension, noncomprehension, impotence, impotency, powerlessness

Related Words for Grip

overnight bag, weekend bag, weekender, cosmetic case, traveling case, carpetbag, duffel bag, kit, kit bag, backpack, haversack, knapsack, packsack, rucksack, attaché, attaché case, briefcase, valise, baggage, bags, luggage, anchorage, leverage, purchase, grab, seizure, foothold, footing, toehold, clinch

Near Antonyms of Grip

release, relinquishment, misapprehension, miscomprehension, misinterpretation, misperception, misunderstanding, helplessness, weakness, drop, give, hand, unclasp, unhand, cede, deliver, give up, hand out, hand over, relinquish, render, turn over, yield, bore, jade, pall, tire, weary, discharge, free

Word Forms of Grip

Inflections: gripped, gripping

Derived words: gripper (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Grip

Middle English grippen, from Old English grippan; akin to Old English grīpan

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Grip

Words & Phrases Containing Grip

death grip, key grip, pistol grip, get a grip on, lose one's grip, loosen one's grip/hold

Frequently Asked Questions about Grip

What does "Grip" mean?

"Grip" means to seize or hold firmly. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to seize or hold firmly. It has 9 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Grip"?

Other words for "Grip" include carry-on, carryall, handbag, holdall, portmanteau, suitcase, traveling bag and wallet. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Grip" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Grip"?

There are 169 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Grip". Common alternatives include carry-on, carryall, handbag, holdall, portmanteau, suitcase, traveling bag, wallet, clasp and clench.

What is the opposite of "Grip"?

Antonyms of "Grip" include incomprehension, noncomprehension, impotence, impotency and powerlessness. Near antonyms include release, relinquishment, misapprehension and miscomprehension.

How do you use "Grip" in a sentence?

Examples of "Grip" in a sentence: "she placed her grip in the train's overhead rack and seated herself comfortably"; "get a better grip on the lid and try to open the jar again"; "he has a good grip on basic Spanish grammar and spelling".

Is "Grip" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Grip" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Grip" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Grip" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Grip"?

"Grip" is pronounced /ˈgrip/.