gripe

English

Etymology 1

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.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡɹaɪp/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪp

Verb

gripe (third-person singular simple present gripes, present participle griping, simple past griped or (obsolete) grope, past participle griped or (obsolete) grope or (obsolete) gripen)

1. (intransitive, informal) To complain; to whine.

   Synonyms: bitch (vulgar), complain, whine, whinge

   • 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^[1]:

     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.

   • 2025 September 24, Stuart Heritage, “Go quietly and get a side hustle: how to quit acting properly”, in The Guardian‎^[2], →ISSN:

     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.

2. (transitive, informal) To annoy or bother.

   What's griping you?

3. (nautical) 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.
   • 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]:

     How inly sorrow gripes his soul.

5. (intransitive, now archaic except in passive) To suffer griping pains.
   • 1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC:

     the griping of an hungry belly

6. (obsolete, intransitive) To make a grab (to, towards, at or upon something).
   • 1922 February, James Joyce, “[Episode 14]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, […], →OCLC:

     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.

7. (archaic, transitive) To seize or grasp.
   • 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:

     Wouldst thou gripe both gain and pleasure?

   • 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:

     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:

   • 1667, attributed to Richard Allestree, The Causes of the Decay of Christian Piety. […], London: […] R. Norton for T. Garthwait, […], →OCLC:

     Unclutch his griping hand.

Translations

to complain; to whine

• Czech: remcat impf, stěžovat si (cs) impf, brblat (cs) impf, reptat (cs) impf
• Finnish: ruikuttaa (fi), marmattaa (fi), marista (fi)
• French: se plaindre (fr)
• German: maulen (de), meckern (de)
• Russian: жа́ловаться (ru) impf (žálovatʹsja)
• Spanish: quejarse (es), gimotear (es)
• Tamil: please add this translation if you can

Noun

gripe (plural gripes)

1. A complaint, often a petty or trivial one.
2. (nautical) A wire rope, often used on davits and other life raft launching systems.
3. (obsolete) Grasp; clutch; grip.
   • 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]:

     A barren sceptre in my gripe.

   • 1764, Horace Walpole, The Castle of Otranto, section I:

     The young peasant […] disengaged himself from Manfred's gripe […].

   • 1833, Mary Shelley, The Mortal Immortal:

     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!"

4. (obsolete) That which is grasped; a handle; a grip.

   the gripe of a sword

5. (engineering, 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

   • 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:

     '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.

7. (chiefly in the plural) Pinching and spasmodic pain in the intestines.

Translations

complaint; petty concern

• Bulgarian: оплакване (bg) n (oplakvane)
• Catalan: clam (ca) m, queixa (ca) f
• Czech: stížnost (cs) f
• Dutch: klacht (nl)
• Finnish: narina (fi), marina (fi) (complaint); huoli (fi) (concern)
• Irish: clamhsán m
• Russian: жа́лоба (ru) f (žáloba)
• Spanish: queja (es) f, gimoteo (es) m (complaint), nimiedad (es) f (petty concern)
• Tamil: please add this translation if you can
• Welsh: cwyn m or f

nautical: wire rope

• Finnish: vaijeri (fi)

grasp, clutch, grip

• Bulgarian: хващане (bg) n (hvaštane), улавяне (bg) n (ulavjane)
• Finnish: ote (fi)
• Russian: схва́тывание (ru) n (sxvátyvanije)
• Tamil: பிடி (ta) (piṭi)

that which is grasped

• Finnish: kahva (fi), kädensija (fi)
• German: Griff (de) m
• Tamil: பிடி (ta) (piṭi)

engineering: device for grasping or holding anything

• Albanian: grep (sq)
• Bulgarian: закопчалка (bg) f (zakopčalka)
• Finnish: kahva (fi)
• Russian: зажи́м (ru) m (zažím), тиски́ (ru) m pl (tiskí) (vise)

pinching distress

• Finnish: puristus (fi)
• Tamil: பிணி (ta) (piṇi)

pinching and spasmodic pain in the intestines

• Bulgarian: колики (bg) f pl (koliki)
• Czech: bolesti v břiše
• Finnish: mahanpurut pl, vatsanpurut pl, koliikki (fi)
• Greek:

  Ancient Greek: στρόφος m (stróphos)

• Russian: резь (ru) f (rezʹ), ко́лики f pl (kóliki)
• Tamil: வயிற்றுவலி (ta) (vayiṟṟuvali)
• Telugu: నులి (te) (nuli)

nautical: piece of timber that terminates the keel — see forefoot

nautical: sharpness of a ship's stern

nautical: assemblage to secure the boats when hoisted

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Māori: ^{(please verify)} amuamu

Derived terms

from noun or verb

• begripe
• gripeful
• gripesite
• gripe water
• gripeworthy
• gripey
• gripingly

Etymology 2

Noun

gripe (plural gripes)

1. (dialect, Ireland) Alternative form of grip (trench, ditch, furrow).
   • 1850, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, London: H.G. Bohn, page 520:

     “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.”

Etymology 3

Noun

gripe (plural gripes)

1. Alternative form of grype.

Anagrams

• Greip, Griep

Galician

Etymology

Attested since 1853. Borrowed from French grippe

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡɾipe/ [ˈɡɾi.pɪ]

• IPA^(key): (standard) /ˈɡɾipe/ [ˈɡɾi.pɪ]
• IPA^(key): (gheada) /ˈħɾipe/ [ˈħɾi.pɪ]

• Rhymes: -ipe
• Hyphenation: gri‧pe

Noun

gripe m or f (plural gripes)

1. (pathology) flu, influenza

   Synonyms: gripallada, gripalleira, gripaxe

Derived terms

• gripallada
• gripar
• gripaxe
• gripio
• gripo

References

• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “gripe”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “gripe”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “gripe”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈɡriː.pɛ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈɡriː.pe]

Noun

grīpe

1. ablative singular of grīps

Middle English

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old English gripe, from Proto-West Germanic *gripi, from Proto-Germanic *gripiz.

Alternative forms

• grepe, grippe, grype

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡrip(ə)/, /ˈɡreːp(ə)/

Noun

gripe (plural grippes or gripen)

1. Gripping or grabbing; taking with the hand.
2. (rare) A small group or collection of things.
3. (rare) An assault or attack.
4. (rare) A twinge; a sharp pain.

Related terms

• gripel

Descendants

• English: grip
  • → Dutch: grip
• Scots: grip, grup
• Yola: grip

References

• “grip(e, n.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 22 November 2018.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Old French gripe, from Latin gryps, grȳphus, from Ancient Greek γρῡ́ψ (grū́ps).

Alternative forms

• grijp, grip, grippe, gryp, grype, gryyp

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡrip(ə)/, /ˈɡriːp(ə)/

Noun

gripe (plural gripes)

1. A griffin (mythical creature; also in heraldry).
2. A vulture (compare modern English griffon vulture).

Descendants

• English: grip (obsolete)

References

• “grī̆p(e, n.(3).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 22 November 2018.

Etymology 3

Verb

gripe

1. alternative form of gripen

North Frisian

Alternative forms

• grip (Föhr-Amrum, Sylt)

Etymology

From Old Frisian grīpa, from Proto-West Germanic *grīpan, from Proto-Germanic *grīpaną.

Pronunciation

• (Mooring) IPA^(key): [ˈɡrɪpʰə]

Verb

gripe

1. (Mooring) to grab, take, seize

Conjugation

Conjugation of gripe (Mooring dialect)

infinitive I	gripe
infinitive II	(tu) gripen
infinitive III	än grip
past participle	gram
imperative	grip
	present	past
1st-person singular	grip	griip
2nd-person singular	grapst	griipst
3rd-person singular	grapt	griip
plural	gripe	griipen
	perfect	pluperfect
1st-person singular	hääw gram	häi gram
2nd-person singular	hääst gram	häist gram
3rd-person singular	heet gram	häi gram
plural	hääwe gram	häin gram
	future (schale)	future (wårde)
1st-person singular	schal gripe	wård gripe
2nd-person singular	schäät gripe	wårst gripe
3rd-person singular	schal gripe	wårt gripe
plural	schan gripe	wårde gripe

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Danish gribe (“to grab”), from Old Norse grípa (“to grab”), from Proto-Germanic *grīpaną, from Proto-Indo-European *gʰreyb- (“to grasp, grab”). Cognate with Danish gribe, Swedish gripa, Icelandic grípa, English gripe, Dutch grijpen, German greifen.

Verb

gripe (imperative grip, present tense griper, simple past grep or greip, past participle grepet, present participle gripende)

1. to grab, grasp, grip
2. to seize (grab, capture).
3. to seize (take advantage of an opportunity).

Derived terms

• foregripe
• gripe dagen
• gripe inn
• håndgripelig
• pågripe

Related terms

• grep

References

• “gripe” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “gripe” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).

Norwegian Nynorsk

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /²ɡriːpə/

Verb

gripe (present tense grip, past tense greip, past participle gripe, passive infinitive gripast, present participle gripande, imperative grip)

1. alternative form of gripa

Derived terms

• gripe dagen
• gripe inn

Old English

Etymology 1

From Proto-West Germanic *gripi, from Proto-Germanic *gripiz. Cognate with Old High German *grif (in hantgrif, etc.; > modern German Griff), Old Norse gripr.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡri.pe/

Noun

gripe m

1. grip, clutch, grasp
2. costliness, preciousness

Declension

Strong i-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	gripe	gripas
accusative	gripe	gripas
genitive	gripes	gripa
dative	gripe	gripum

Derived terms

• ongripe

Descendants

• Middle English: gripe, grepe, grippe, grype
  • English: grip
    • → Dutch: grip
  • Scots: grip, grup
  • Yola: grip

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

• grīpe: IPA^(key): /ˈɡriː.pe/
• gripe: IPA^(key): /ˈɡri.pe/

Verb

grīpe

1. inflection of grīpan:
   1. first-person singular present indicative
   2. singular present subjunctive

Verb

gripe

1. inflection of grīpan:
   1. second-person singular past indicative
   2. singular past subjunctive

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɾi.pi/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɾi.pɨ/

• Audio (Brazil (Caipira)):

  (file)

Etymology 1

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *gʰreyb-der.

Proto-Germanic *grīpaną

Frankish *grīpander.

Old French *gripper

French gripper

French grippebor.

Portuguese gripe

Borrowed from French grippe.

Alternative forms

• grippe (obsolete)

Noun

gripe f (plural gripes)

1. the flu, influenza

Derived terms

• gripar
• gripe aviária
• gripe espanhola
• gripe suína
• gripezinha

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

gripe

1. inflection of gripar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “gripe”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “gripe”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɡripe]

Noun

gripe f pl

1. inflection of gripă:
   1. indefinite plural
   2. indefinite genitive/dative singular

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡɾipe/ [ˈɡɾi.pe]
• Rhymes: -ipe
• Syllabification: gri‧pe

Etymology 1

Borrowed from French grippe, from gripper (“to seize”), of Germanic origin.

Alternative forms

• gripa (Colombia, Mexico)

Noun

gripe f (plural gripes)

1. (pathology) flu, influenza

   Synonym: influenza

   Tengo la gripe. ― I have the flu.

Derived terms

• agriparse
• antigripal
• gripe aviar
• gripe española
• gripe porcina

Etymology 2

Verb

gripe

1. inflection of gripar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “gripe”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Anagrams

• pigre

West Frisian

Etymology

From Old Frisian grīpa, from Proto-Germanic *grīpaną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡripə/

Verb

gripe

1. to grab, to grasp

Inflection

Strong class 1
infinitive	gripe
3rd singular past	griep
past participle	grepen
infinitive	gripe
long infinitive	gripen
gerund	gripen n
auxiliary	hawwe
indicative	present tense	past tense
1st singular	gryp	griep
2nd singular	grypst	griepst
clitic form	grypsto	griepsto
3rd singular	grypt	griep
plural	gripe	griepen
imperative	gryp
participles	gripend	grepen

Weak class 1
infinitive	gripe
3rd singular past	grypte
past participle	grypt
infinitive	gripe
long infinitive	gripen
gerund	gripen n
auxiliary	hawwe
indicative	present tense	past tense
1st singular	gryp	grypte
2nd singular	grypst	gryptest
clitic form	grypsto	gryptesto
3rd singular	grypt	grypte
plural	gripe	grypten
imperative	gryp
participles	gripend	grypt

Derived terms

• begripe

Further reading

• “gripe (I)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011