Dictionary

gripe en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ɡɹaɪp/
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English gripen, from Old English grīpan, from Proto-Germanic *grīpaną, from Proto-Indo-European *gʰreyb- (“to grab, grasp”). Cognate with West Frisian gripe, Low German griepen, Dutch grijpen, German greifen, Danish gribe, Norwegian Bokmål gripe, Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish gripa, Icelandic grípa. See also grip, grope.

Meanings

1. A complaint, often a petty or trivial one.
2. A wire rope, often used on davits and other life raft launching systems.
3. (obsolete) Grasp; clutch; grip.
   • I started — I dropped the glass — the fluid flamed and glanced along the floor, while I felt Cornelius's gripe at my throat, as he shrieked aloud, "Wretch! you have destroyed the labour of my life!" 1833, Mary Shelley, The Mortal Immortal:
   • A barren sceptre in my gripe. c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:
   • The young peasant […] disengaged himself from Manfred's gripe […]. 1764, Horace Walpole, The Castle of Otranto, section I:
4. (obsolete) That which is grasped; a handle; a grip.
   • the gripe of a sword
5. (dated) A device for grasping or holding anything; a brake to stop a wheel.
6. (obsolete) Oppression; cruel exaction; affliction; pinching distress.
   • the gripe of poverty
   • 'Tis the cruel gripe, / That lean hard-handed poverty inflicts, / The hope of better things, the chance to win, / The wiſh to ſhine, the thirſt to be amus'd, / That at the found of Winter's hoary wing, / Unpeople all our counties, of ſuch herds, / Of flutt'ring, loit'ring, cringing, begging, looſe, / And wanton vagrants, as make London, vaſt / And boundless as it is, a crowded coop. 1785, William Cowper, “The Garden”, in The Task, a Poem, in Six Books. By William Cowper […] To which are Added, by the Same Author, An Epistle to Joseph Hill, Esq. Tirocinium, or a Review of Schools, and The History of John Gilpin, London: Printed for J[oseph] Johnson, No. 72 St. Paul's Church-Yard, OCLC 221351486; republished as The Task. A Poem. In Six Books. To which is Added, Tirocinium: or, A Review of Schools, new edition, Philadelphia, Pa.: Printed for Thomas Dobson, bookseller, in Second-street, second door above Chestnut-street, 1787, OCLC 23630717, page 87
7. (in-plural) Pinching and spasmodic pain in the intestines.

Forms

Deriveds

gripe water (from noun or verb) · gripeworthy (from noun or verb) · begripe (from noun or verb) · gripingly (from noun or verb) · gripey (from noun or verb) · gripesite (from noun or verb) · gripeful (from noun or verb)

Translations (41)

fi puristus (pinching distress) · fi narina (complaint; petty concern) · sq grep (engineering: device for grasping or holding anything) · ta வயிற்றுவலி (pinching and spasmodic pain in the intestines) · es nimiedad (complaint; petty concern) · bg колики (pinching and spasmodic pain in the intestines) · fi kahva (engineering: device for grasping or holding anything) · es queja (complaint; petty concern) · ta பிடி (grasp, clutch, grip) · cs bolesti v břiše (pinching and spasmodic pain in the intestines) · ru ко́лики (pinching and spasmodic pain in the intestines) · ta பிடி (that which is grasped) · fi vaijeri (nautical: wire rope) · grc στρόφος (pinching and spasmodic pain in the intestines) · fi marina (complaint; petty concern) · fi koliikki (pinching and spasmodic pain in the intestines) · ta பிணி (pinching distress) · ru схва́тывание (grasp, clutch, grip) · bg оплакване (complaint; petty concern) · ru резь (pinching and spasmodic pain in the intestines) · fi huoli (complaint; petty concern) · ca queixa (complaint; petty concern) · ru жа́лоба (complaint; petty concern) · de Griff (that which is grasped) · ca clam (complaint; petty concern) · bg закопчалка (engineering: device for grasping or holding anything) · fi vatsanpurut (pinching and spasmodic pain in the intestines) · bg хващане (grasp, clutch, grip) · fi ote (grasp, clutch, grip) · ga clamhsán (complaint; petty concern) · es gimoteo (complaint; petty concern) · bg улавяне (grasp, clutch, grip) · cy cwyn (complaint; petty concern) · cs stížnost (complaint; petty concern) · fi kädensija (that which is grasped) · nl klacht (complaint; petty concern) · ru тиски́ (engineering: device for grasping or holding anything) · te నులి (pinching and spasmodic pain in the intestines) · fi mahanpurut (pinching and spasmodic pain in the intestines) · ru зажи́м (engineering: device for grasping or holding anything) · fi kahva (that which is grasped)

gripe en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ɡɹaɪp/
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English gripen, from Old English grīpan, from Proto-Germanic *grīpaną, from Proto-Indo-European *gʰreyb- (“to grab, grasp”). Cognate with West Frisian gripe, Low German griepen, Dutch grijpen, German greifen, Danish gribe, Norwegian Bokmål gripe, Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish gripa, Icelandic grípa. See also grip, grope.

Meanings

1. (informal, intransitive) To complain; to whine.
   • In “Treehouse Of Horror” episodes, the rules aren’t just different—they don’t even exist. If writers want Homer to kill Flanders or for a segment to end with a marriage between a woman and a giant ape, they can do so without worrying about continuity or consistency or fans griping that the gang is behaving out of character. 2012 April 29, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Treehouse of Horror III” (season 4, episode 5; originally aired 10/29/1992)”, in AV Club:
   • After making The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen in 2003 (and griping to the press that he was “fed up with the idiots”), Sean Connery enjoyed 17 years of retirement before he died in 2020. 2025 September 24, Stuart Heritage, “Go quietly and get a side hustle: how to quit acting properly”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
2. (informal, transitive) To annoy or bother.
   • What's griping you?
3. To tend to come up into the wind, as a ship which, when sailing close-hauled, requires constant labour at the helm.
4. (obsolete, transitive) To pinch; to distress. Specifically, to cause pinching and spasmodic pain to the bowels of, as by the effects of certain purgative or indigestible substances.
   • How inly sorrow gripes his soul. c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv]:
5. (intransitive, qualifier:now archaic except in passive) To suffer griping pains.
   • the griping of an hungry belly 1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC:
6. (intransitive, obsolete) To make a grab (to, towards, at or upon something).
   • Therefore, everyman, look to that last end that is thy death and the dust that gripeth on every man that is born of woman for as he came naked forth from his mother's womb so naked shall he wend him at the last for to go as he came. 1922 February 2, James Joyce, “[Episode 14]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company […], →OCLC:
7. (archaic, transitive) To seize or grasp.
   • Unclutch his griping hand. 1667, attributed to Richard Allestree, The Causes of the Decay of Christian Piety. […], London: […] R. Norton for T. Garthwait, […], →OCLC:
   • Wouldst thou gripe both gain and pleasure? 1551, Thomas More, “(please specify the Internet Archive page)”, in Raphe Robynson [i.e., Ralph Robinson], transl., A Fruteful, and Pleasaunt Worke of the Best State of a Publyque Weale, and of the Newe Yle Called Utopia: […], London: […] [Steven Mierdman for] Abraham Vele, […], →OCLC:
   • UUhoſe hands are made to gripe a warlike Lance— / Their ſhoulders broad, for complet armour fit, / Their lims more large and of a bigger ſize / Than all the brats yſprong from Typhons loins: c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act III, scene iii:

Forms

Synonyms

bitch · whine · complain · whinge

Translations (13)

de meckern (to complain; to whine) · fi marmattaa (to complain; to whine) · es quejarse (to complain; to whine) · fi ruikuttaa (to complain; to whine) · de maulen (to complain; to whine) · cs remcat (to complain; to whine) · cs reptat (to complain; to whine) · ru жа́ловаться (to complain; to whine) · fr se plaindre (to complain; to whine) · cs brblat (to complain; to whine) · fi marista (to complain; to whine) · cs stěžovat si (to complain; to whine) · es gimotear (to complain; to whine)

gripe en · NOUN · etymology 2

Meanings

1. (Ireland, alt-of, alternative, dialectal) Alternative form of grip (trench, ditch, furrow).
   alt of grip
   • “There was no use at all, you see, in thinkin' to run for it, for they wor dhrivin' at the rate uv a hunt; so down I got into the gripe o' the ditch, thinkin' to snake off wid mysilf while they war op'nin' the gate.” 1850, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, London: H.G. Bohn, page 520:

Forms

gripe en · NOUN · etymology 3

Meanings

1. (alt-of, alternative) Alternative form of grype.
   alt of grype

Forms