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Grip vs Obsess - What's the difference?

grip | obsess |

As verbs the difference between grip and obsess

is that grip is to take hold of, particularly with the hand while obsess is to be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion.

As a noun grip

is a hold or way of holding, particularly with the hand or grip can be (dialectal) a small ditch or trench; a channel to carry off water or other liquid; a drain or grip can be (obsolete) the griffin.

grip

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) grippan, from a (etyl) , whence English gripe. See also (l).

Verb

(gripp)
  • To take hold of, particularly with the hand.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
  • , chapter=19 citation , passage=When Timothy and Julia hurried up the staircase to the bedroom floor, where a considerable commotion was taking place, Tim took Barry Leach with him. He had him gripped firmly by the arm, since he felt it was not safe to let him loose, and he had no immediate idea what to do with him.}}
  • To help or assist, particularly in an emotional sense.
  • * 1898 , , (Moonfleet) Chapter 4
  • By and by fumes of brandy began to fill the air, and climb to where I lay, overcoming the mouldy smell of decayed wood and the dampness of the green walls. It may have been that these fumes mounted to my head, and gave me courage not my own, but so it was that I lost something of the stifling fear that had gripped me, and could listen with more ease to what was going forward
  • To do something with another that makes you happy/gives you relief.
  • To trench; to drain.
  • Etymology 2

    An amalgam of (etyl) (cognate with Swedish ''grepp ).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A hold or way of holding, particularly with the hand.
  • A handle or other place to grip.
  • A visual component on a window etc. enabling it to be resized and/or moved.
  • (film production) A person responsible for handling equipment on the set.
  • A channel cut through a grass verge (especially for the purpose of draining water away from the highway).
  • A lot of something.
  • : Influenza, flu.
  • (archaic) A small travelling-bag.
  • Assistance; help or encouragement.
  • A helpful, interesting, admirable, or inspiring person.
  • (slang) As much as one can hold in a hand; a handful.
  • (figurative) A tenacious grasp; a holding fast.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-20, volume=408, issue=8845, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= The attack of the MOOCs , passage=Dotcom mania was slow in coming to higher education, but now it has the venerable industry firmly in its grip . Since the launch early last year of Udacity and Coursera, two Silicon Valley start-ups offering free education through MOOCs, massive open online courses, the ivory towers of academia have been shaken to their foundations.}}
  • A device for grasping or holding fast to something.
  • Etymology 3

    From (etyl) grip, grippe, .

    Alternative forms

    *

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (dialectal) A small ditch or trench; a channel to carry off water or other liquid; a drain.
  • (Ray)
    Derived terms
    *

    Etymology 4

    (etyl) (lena) grypus, gryphus.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) The griffin.
  • Anagrams

    * ----

    obsess

    English

    Verb

    (es)
  • To be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion.
  • *{{quote-magazine, date=2014-06-21, volume=411, issue=8892, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= Magician’s brain , passage=The [Isaac] Newton that emerges from the [unpublished] manuscripts is far from the popular image of a rational practitioner of cold and pure reason. The architect of modern science was himself not very modern. He was obsessed with alchemy.}}
  • (label) To dominate the thoughts of someone.
  • To think or talk obsessively about.