gritty

[grit-ee]

See more synonyms for gritty on Thesaurus.com

adjective, grit·ti·er, grit·ti·est.

consisting of, containing, or resembling grit; sandy.
resolute and courageous; plucky.

Origin of gritty

First recorded in 1590–1600; grit + -y¹

Related formsgrit·ti·ly, adverbgrit·ti·ness, nounun·grit·ty, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for grittiness

Contemporary Examples

This is action on a grand scale that, despite its grittiness and naturalism, boasts very high production values.
‘Captain Phillips’ Is a Gripping, Award-Worthy Film
Marlow Stern
September 28, 2013
“Grittiness is what differentiated it in from the beginning,” Henderson said.
‘True Blood’ Premiere: Is Sex the Only Reason We’re Still Watching?
Kevin Fallon
June 14, 2013
As with the teen drama Skins, it was that British grittiness that was part of the allure to millions of teenage viewers.
British Raunchfest ‘The Inbetweeners Movie’ Tries to Make Its Mark in America
Kevin Fallon
September 8, 2012

Historical Examples

A greyish-yellow powder free from grittiness, and with no smell of sulphuretted hydrogen.
Cooley's Practical Receipts, Volume II
Arnold Cooley
Very often the texture of pear-flesh is marred by grittiness to which some varieties are much more subject than others.
The Pears of New York
U. P. Hedrick
The flesh is juicy, tender, vinous, free from grittiness and seldom rots at the core.
The Pears of New York
U. P. Hedrick
For suddenly he was surprised by a most disagreeable sense of grittiness, and then a keen stab in the roof of his month.
Library Of The World's Best Literature, Ancient And Modern, Vol. 5
Various
Its grittiness would hurt the newborn weaklings, its dryness would absorb the moisture indispensable to their movements.
The Life of the Fly
J. Henri Fabre

British Dictionary definitions for grittiness

gritty

adjective -tier or -tiest

courageous; hardy; resolute
of, like, or containing grit

Derived Formsgrittily, adverbgrittiness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for grittiness

gritty

adj.

1590s, from grit + -y (2). In sense of "unpleasant" (of literature, etc.), from 1882, in reference to the sensation of eating gritty bread. Related: Grittily; grittiness.

gritty

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}gritty

Examples from the Web for grittiness

Contemporary Examples

This is action on a grand scale that, despite its grittiness and naturalism, boasts very high production values.

“Grittiness is what differentiated it in from the beginning,” Henderson said.

As with the teen drama Skins, it was that British grittiness that was part of the allure to millions of teenage viewers.

Historical Examples

A greyish-yellow powder free from grittiness, and with no smell of sulphuretted hydrogen.

Very often the texture of pear-flesh is marred by grittiness to which some varieties are much more subject than others.

The flesh is juicy, tender, vinous, free from grittiness and seldom rots at the core.

For suddenly he was surprised by a most disagreeable sense of grittiness, and then a keen stab in the roof of his month.

Its grittiness would hurt the newborn weaklings, its dryness would absorb the moisture indispensable to their movements.

gritty

Word Origin and History for grittiness

gritty

adj.

Origin of gritty