gripe

Gripe is a term in English that can function as both a noun and a verb. As a noun, a gripe denotes a complaint or grievance, typically a persistent or petty one. As a verb, to gripe means to complain or grumble, often in a fault-finding or peevish manner. The word is commonly used in everyday speech, with phrases such as "gripe about" or "air a gripe."

In historical or medical contexts, "the gripe" or "the gripes" referred to abdominal cramps or stomach pain, especially in children. The term appears in older medical writing and in expressions describing discomfort rather than a named disease. Related products such as "gripe water" were marketed as remedies for infant colic, though such preparations are no longer widely endorsed by medical authorities.

A related form, grippe, spelled with an e at the end, is an archaic term for influenza. It entered English through French and was used in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In modern English, influenza is the preferred term, and grippe is largely seen in historical or literary contexts.

Etymology: The senses derive from the verb grip, dating to Old English and Middle English, with the figurative sense of seizing or pinching reflected in the development of the term to describe complaints.