grit
noun
abrasive particles or granules, as of sand or other small, coarse impurities found in the air, food, water, etc.
Trivia Time
Which material is commonly sprinkled on icy roads to provide grit and improve traction?
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:
Their British approach to R&B prized tightness, clarity, and buoyant precision over the loose, improvisational grit often associated with American soul.
From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026
In winning away to Exeter, there was plenty of that grit on show.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
Her parents, who were in the military, “were able to get to financial prosperity through hard work and grit and determination,” she said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
Work looked at needs, and forged character and grit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
Leaping quickly into the hole, he scratched the damp sandy grit left and right.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
“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
The second element of Grit is "the vault", which Leonora says is a secure digital space where users can store evidence of abuse, dated and encrypted, for possible use later in legal proceedings.
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: As chickens do not have teeth, they eat sand and small stones to fill their gizzards.
From "Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer" by Kelly Jones
The corn ground at the Old Mill is Tennessee-grown, never genetically modified, and no harsh chemicals or additives are added to the cornmeal and grits.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
The restaurants served up moderately priced country ham, pancakes, eggs and grits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2025
That week, they were going on a surf-and-turf version of shrimp and grits: steak tips, seared shrimp, a lake of cheesy grits and, right on top, a tangle of sweet-savory onions.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2025
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 and squints like he’s taking a painful crap, then says, “Two cases,” and I know that I’ve won.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
And unlike past editions when they often gritted their teeth and only eked through, they’ve done it this time with a game to spare.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 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'm not sure how gritted his teeth were at the time and can only imagine how awkward their next joint public appearance will be.
From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2026
"I gritted my teeth on everything," Naumov said.
From Barron's ● Jan. 11, 2026
Jonah asked, pushing the words out through gritted teeth.
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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
“Completely,” Magdalys said, gritting her teeth behind pursed lips.
From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older
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.
