Dictionary.com

nitty-gritty

[ nit-ee-grit-ee ]
/ ˈnɪt iˈgrɪt i /
Slang.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR nitty-gritty ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the essential substance or details of a matter; basics; crux: Let's skip the chitchat and get down to the nitty-gritty.

adjective

fundamental, detailed, or probing: nitty-gritty questions.
direct and practical: nitty-gritty advice; a nitty-gritty system.

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carried on abroad, or with other countries.
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Origin of nitty-gritty

An Americanism dating back to 1960–65; rhyming compound of uncertain origin

Words nearby nitty-gritty

nitroxanthic acid, nitryl, nits-and-lice, Nitti, nitty, nitty-gritty, nitwit, Niue, Niuean, Niu Tireni, nival
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to nitty-gritty

kernel, substance, gist, core, fundamentals, essence, focus, reality, heart, quintessence, basics, soul, root, meat, bottom line, brass tacks, meat and potatoes, name of the game, nuts and bolts, heart of the matter

Example sentences from the Web for nitty-gritty

British Dictionary definitions for nitty-gritty

nitty-gritty
/ (ˈnɪtɪˈɡrɪtɪ) /

noun

the nitty-gritty informal the basic facts of a matter, situation, etc; the core

Word Origin for nitty-gritty

C20: perhaps rhyming compound formed from grit
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