grippato

Grippato is an Italian adjective and past participle derived from the verb grippare, meaning to seize, lock up, or become stuck. In everyday speech it is used in two main senses: medical and mechanical, with the medical sense being the more common in informal conversation.

In medical usage, grippato denotes being sick with influenza or a flu-like illness. It is informal and regional, often used to describe a recent, abrupt onset of symptoms such as fever, malaise, body aches, and cough. In formal or clinical contexts, terms like influenzato or malato di influenza are preferred.

In mechanical usage, grippato describes a component or machine that has seized or jammed due to friction, overheating, or insufficient lubrication. A seized engine or a grippato bearing is typically unable to rotate or move, requiring inspection, disassembly, repair, or replacement.

The term also appears in colloquial expressions to convey sudden dysfunction or failure, whether due to illness or mechanical issues. While widely understood in Italy, grippato remains informal and may be considered non-standard in formal writing.

Examples: Sono grippato dall’influenza. Il motore è grippato e non parte. These uses illustrate the metaphorical shift from physical gripping to systems becoming temporarily unable to function.