granite

noun

gran·​ite ˈgra-nət 

1

: a very hard natural igneous rock formation of visibly crystalline texture formed essentially of quartz and orthoclase or microcline and used especially for building and for monuments

2

: unyielding firmness or endurance

… the cold granite of Puritan formalism.

—V. L. Parrington

granitelike

ˈgra-nət-ˌlīk 

adjective

granitic

gra-ˈni-tik 

adjective

granitoid

ˈgra-nə-ˌtȯid 

adjective

Synonyms of granite

• decision
• determination
• decisiveness
• resolve

Examples of granite in a Sentence

had the granite to see the project out to the end

Recent Examples on the Web

For more than two decades, a pair of imposing granite lions flanked the entrance to a rust-red building deep inside the Arctic Circle. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 10 July 2026

On the South Lawn, a granite helipad is currently being constructed for Marine One. — Michelle Stoddart, ABC News, 10 July 2026

His body was buried in a Norwegian cemetery in Grytviken, the grave marked by a rough cross (later replaced by a granite column). — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 10 July 2026

Then there is the fate of the incumbent, who fled Tibet’s capital Lhasa for India in 1959 just days before red Chinese troops bombarded the sloping granite walls of his Potala Palace home. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Italian granito, from past participle of granire to granulate, from grano grain, from Latin granum

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for granite

• gannet
• planet
• intranet
• pomegranate

Kids Definition

granite

noun

gran·​ite ˈgran-ət 

1

: a very hard rock that can be polished and is used in buildings and monuments

2

: unyielding firmness (as of character, will, or opinion)