Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - grip

(grips, gripping, gripped) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. If you grip something, you take hold of it with your hand and continue to hold it firmly. She gripped the rope. VERB: V n 2. A grip is a firm, strong hold on something. His strong hand eased the bag from her grip. N-COUNT: oft poss N 3. Someone’s grip on something is the power and control they have over it. The president maintains an iron grip on his country... Tony Blair last night tightened his grip on Labour mps with new powers to root out trouble-makers. N-SING: with supp, oft N on n 4. If something grips you, it affects you very strongly. The entire community has been gripped by fear. VERB: V n 5. If you are gripped by something such as a story or a series of events, your attention is concentrated on it and held by it. The nation is gripped by the dramatic story. VERB: usu passive, be V-ed • gripping The film turned out to be a gripping thriller. = riveting ADJ 6. If things such as shoes or car tyres have grip, they do not slip. ...a new way of reinforcing rubber which gives car tyres better grip. N-UNCOUNT 7. A grip is a bag that is smaller than a suitcase, and that you use when you are travelling. N-COUNT 8. If you get to grips with a problem or if you come to grips with it, you consider it seriously, and start taking action to deal with it. The government’s first task is to get to grips with the economy. PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n 9. If you get a grip on yourself, you make an effort to control or improve your behaviour or work. PHRASE: V inflects 10. If a person, group, or place is in the grip of something, they are being severely affected by it. Britain is still in the grip of recession. ...a region in the grip of severe drought. PHRASE: v-link PHR, PHR n 11. If you lose your grip, you become less efficient and less confident, and less able to deal with things. PHRASE: V inflects 12. If you say that someone has a grip on reality, you mean they recognize the true situation and do not have mistaken ideas about it. Shakur loses his fragile grip on reality and starts blasting away at friends and foe alike. PHRASE: usu PHR after v