gritty
Americanadjective
-
grittier,
comparative
-
grittiest
superlative
-
consisting of, containing, or resembling grit; sandy.
-
resolute and courageous; plucky.
adjective
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courageous; hardy; resolute
-
of, like, or containing grit
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of gritty
Explanation
Gritty things have a rough texture that makes them feel like they're coated with sand. After a day at the beach, you might come home with gritty arms and legs. A baking project involving corn meal might result in a gritty counter and a gritty kitchen floor, and one shake of your dirty dog will leave you with a gritty couch. Grit is a tiny particle of sand or stone, and gritty means "covered in grit." A second meaning of gritty is "showing bravery and spirit." When you stick with something no matter how scary or difficult it is, that's gritty.
Vocabulary lists containing gritty
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Baseball in April
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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:
A gritty throwback to print journalism: Danny Boyle’s new film, Ink, depicts Rupert Murdoch’s takeover of the Sun, turning it into the United Kingdom’s top tabloid paper.
From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026
McNeil has made a career out of reliving the gritty tales of debauchery and explosive expression that gave rise to the Ramones and CBGB’s and shocking tales of New York in the 1970s.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
As the wickets tumbled, the pressure was on Hunter to steer Ireland to a competitive total, but she was caught on the boundary for Wong's fifth wicket to end a gritty 96-ball stay.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
If all goes according to plan, this gritty pocket of Kailua will soon be roaring with new machinery.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
The makeshift hospital at Erudite headquarters smells like chemicals, almost gritty in my nose.
From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
For over an hour, a harder, grittier version of the club seemed ready to overcome its history and lift this elusive trophy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026
Fans of Marvel’s grittier side should like “Punisher,” and “Maul” is cool, but is that enough to justify a subscription?
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 30, 2026
But this was a tougher, grittier version of the Hoosiers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 20, 2026
One of the stars of the hit BBC TV drama Beyond Paradise says the show has taken a "grittier" turn in its third series.
From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2025
They were nearing the edge of Lkossa, a grittier part of the city littered with old crates, debris, and other filth.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
However this story ends, U.S. skier Lindsey Vonn has to go down as one of the greatest, grittiest competitors in the history of her sport or any other.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 2026
Crawley at least found form with the grittiest of knocks, adding 78 with Joe Root then 68 with Harry Brook, defending well and attacking loose balls.
From Barron's ● Dec. 20, 2025
It might be hard for Cronin to consider sitting the team’s grittiest player even if he’s significantly less than 100%, but such a move would have dual benefits.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 13, 2022
Justin Langer, once the grittiest of Australia cricketers, is now the national team's high-profile team boss.
From BBC ● Dec. 25, 2021
She came out of Berwind, which was one of the grittiest and roughest towns in the county.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
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.
