grit
noun
abrasive particles or granules, as of sand or other small, coarse impurities found in the air, food, water, etc.
grit
American
[grit]
/ grɪt /
noun
-
abrasive particles or granules, as of sand or other small, coarse impurities found in the air, food, water, etc.
-
firmness of character; indomitable spirit; pluck.
She has a reputation for grit and common sense.
- Synonyms:
- courage, fortitude, resolution
-
a coarse-grained siliceous rock, usually with sharp, angular grains.
-
British. gravel.
-
sand or other fine grainy particles eaten by fowl to aid in digestion.
verb (used with object)
-
grits,
present (3rd person singular)
-
gritted,
past participle, past
-
gritting
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
grits,
present (3rd person singular)
-
gritted,
past participle, past
-
gritting
present participle
idioms
grit
1
British
/ ɡrɪt /
noun
-
small hard particles of sand, earth, stone, etc
-
Also called: gritstone. any coarse sandstone that can be used as a grindstone or millstone
-
the texture or grain of stone
-
indomitable courage, toughness, or resolution
-
engineering an arbitrary measure of the size of abrasive particles used in a grinding wheel or other abrasive process
verb
-
to clench or grind together (two objects, esp the teeth)
-
to cover (a surface, such as icy roads) with grit
Grit
2
British
/ ɡrɪt /
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
gritsimple
-
gritssimple
-
have grittedperfect
-
has grittedperfect
-
am grittingprogressive
-
are grittingprogressive
-
is grittingprogressive
-
have been grittingperfect progressive
-
has been grittingperfect progressive
Past
-
grittedsimple
-
had grittedperfect
-
was grittingprogressive
-
were grittingprogressive
-
had been grittingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of grit
First recorded before 1000; Middle English gret, griet, grit, Old English grēot; cognate with German Griess, Old Norse grjōt “pebble, boulder”; see grits
Explanation
Grit is a coarse, gravelly dust. If you don't rinse dried beans before you cook them, you may end up crunching grit between your teeth. Grit is small, sandy pieces of rock or stone. Another way to use the word grit is to mean a determined, courageous attitude. If you have grit, you'll keep trying to climb a rock wall no matter how many times you slip and fall. Charles Portis's 1968 novel "True Grit" tells the story of a young girl in the 1800s who embodies this quality, persevering through extreme difficulty and struggle.
Vocabulary lists containing grit
Bridge to Terabithia
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Where the Red Fern Grows
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Free Lunch
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
During its finer, sharper stretches, this is a caustic caper filled with wit and grit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Keegan was regarded by some observers as simply a hard-working player who made himself great through sheer grit and determination.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
To beat France, England will have to produce a performance filled with grit and if they do meet and do it, then England will have achieved the greatest success in the game.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
A demonstration of where personal touch meets sheer grit.
From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026
“Viola,” I say and I grit my teeth even harder and try to get to my feet.
From "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness
“At the end of the day, a great hitter is going to get noticed,” said Tommy Seidl, a former Harvard outfielder who founded the Grit League with Rice.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
Grit Media, the South Central Film Festival invited Indigenous, Black, Brown, LGBTQ+, immigrant and disabled filmmakers to submit their work, including those in a language other than English.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 2, 2026
At its core, Grit is built around three key features.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2025
Joss had a recurring role as Chief Ken Hotate in "Parks and Recreation" and appeared in TV shows like "Tulsa King" and the films "True Grit" and "The Magnificent Seven."
From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2025
Grit and burning ash grate in my teeth.
From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell
Meek came in for bacon, eggs and grits for breakfast, and chatted with owner Duc Nguyen about having Food N’ Geaux stock the honey he harvests at home.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 6, 2026
He loves incorporating greens and, as a Southerner, grits.
From Salon ● Feb. 22, 2025
You’ll want clamps of various sizes to hold pieces together while drilling or assembling, along with sandpaper in a range of grits.
From Seattle Times ● May 3, 2024
He married those influences with a deep love for South Carolina Lowcountry cuisine like shrimp and grits, fried fish and hoppin’ John.
From New York Times ● Mar. 8, 2024
He grits his teeth to keep the tears in.
From "Clean Getaway" by Nic Stone
When the Celtics gritted their teeth and put Brown on the table, catastrophe struck: their offer wasn’t enough.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
“I would have fixed it by now if I knew,” he said through gritted teeth when asked what the problem was.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026
"I gritted my teeth on everything," Naumov said.
From Barron's ● Jan. 11, 2026
Not performatively fun, not “I’m smiling through gritted teeth” fun, but genuinely pleasurable, in that way long projects can feel when the rhythm carries you.
From Salon ● Nov. 25, 2025
Kin glared even harder at the dragon on the floor and, through gritted teeth, said, “I suppose I am.”
From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
But credit Skubal for gritting it out each time, keeping the Dodgers in those three games against the Chicago Cubs, the Kansas City Royals and Brewers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
Though Alicia emerged victorious, Christiane held a plank for over three minutes, arms trembling and gritting her teeth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Liu said he was "gritting my teeth and holding on" -- and hoping that the government helped to "stabilise the currency".
From Barron's ● Jan. 21, 2026
I was headlining at an age where most of the people around me were still gritting it out in clubs and you’re alone.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2025
I closed my eyes and inhaled slowly through my nose, aware that I was gritting my teeth.
From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
