agripper

Agripper means to grab onto or clutch something tightly, usually out of fear, urgency, or effort — a hand gripping a railing, a child clutching a parent's sleeve. It's a common, physical, everyday verb, more neutral than the literary agriffer.

• L'enfant a agrippé la main de sa mère dans la foule. — The child grabbed his mother's hand in the crowd.
• Elle s'est agrippée à la rambarde pour ne pas glisser. — She grabbed onto the railing to keep from slipping.
• Le grimpeur s'agrippe à la moindre prise disponible. — The climber grips onto the smallest available handhold.

Learners use agripper for a light, casual hold — it specifically implies a tight, often urgent or fearful grip, not a relaxed or gentle hand-hold (for that, use tenir or prendre la main).

Often confused with tenir.