To gripe means to complain persistently about something, usually something minor or irritating. When your friend gripes about having too much homework every single day, or when someone gripes about the cafeteria food, they're expressing their annoyance in a way that gets repetitive.

A gripe (as a noun) is the complaint itself: “My main gripe with this game is that it takes too long to load.” The word suggests complaining that's more whiny than constructive. If you gripe about your teacher's rules but never suggest better ones, you're just venting frustration without trying to solve anything.

There's a difference between griping and addressing a real problem. Telling your parents once that your bike chain keeps falling off is reporting an issue. Complaining about it every day without trying to fix it is griping. When people gripe too much, others start tuning them out, even when they have legitimate concerns worth hearing.