zgrep command in Linux with Examples (original) (raw)

Last Updated : 11 Jul, 2025

The **zgrep command is used to search out expressions from a given a file even if it is compressed. All the options that applies to the **grep command also applies to the **zgrep command.

**Syntax:

zgrep [grep options] Expression File name

**Options:

• **-c : This option is used to display the number of matching lines for each file.
  **Example:

zgrep -c "linux" GFG.txt.gz

• **-i : This option is used to ignore case sensitivity.
  **Example:

zgrep -i "LINUX" GFG.txt.gz

• **-n : This option is used to display the line number of file if the given expression is present in the line.
  **Example:

zgrep -n "linux" GFG.txt.gz

• **-v : This option is used to display the lines which doesn't have the expression present in it. Basically invert the search function.
  **Example:

zgrep -v "linux" GFG.txt.gz

• **-e : This option is used to specify the expression but can be used multiple times.
  **Example:

zgrep -e "linux" -e "Linux" GFG.txt.gz

• **-o : This option is used to display only the matched section of the line from the given expression.
  **Example:

zgrep -o "linux" GFG.txt.gz

• **-l : This option is used to display the names of the files with the expression present in it.
  **Example:

zgrep -l "linux" *

• **-w : By default, **zgrep command displays lines even if the expression is found as a sub-string. This option only displays lines only if the whole expression is found.
  **Example:

zgrep -w "linux" GFG.txt.gz

• **-h : This option is used to display the matched lines but doesn't display the file names.
  **Example:

zgrep -h "linux" GFG.txt.gz