gritty

adjective

grit·​ty ˈgri-tē 

grittier; grittiest

1

: containing or resembling grit

2

: courageously persistent : plucky

a gritty heroine

3

: having strong qualities of tough uncompromising realism

a gritty novel

grittily

ˈgri-tə-lē 

adverb

grittiness

ˈgri-tē-nəs 

noun

Did you know?

Gritty comes from grit ("small hard granules"), which in turn derives, via Middle English, from an Old English word for "sand" or "gravel." Grit has been around since before the 12th century, but the first appearance of gritty in print in English was near the end of the 16th century, when it was used in the sense of "resembling or containing small hard granules." Grit entered American slang with the meaning "courage or persistence" in the early 19th century, and gritty followed suit with a corresponding "plucky" sense. By the 19th century's end, gritty was also being used to describe a literary style that was rough and coarse.

Examples of gritty in a Sentence

I admire her gritty determination to succeed.

The book describes the gritty realities of life on the streets.

He gave us all of the gritty details of his divorce.

Recent Examples on the Web

However, they have since been reappraised as insightful accounts of the counterculture’s breakdown, as well as visual templates for the new decade’s grittier, more provocative filmmaking style. —Erik Morse, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2024

The narrative brings to life a pivotal chapter of Australian war history with gritty authenticity, recounting the high body count Operation Copper, a mission during WWII when Australian and New Zealand troops were sent into the jungles of Papua New Guinea. —Patrick Frater, Variety, 24 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

grit entry 1 + -y entry 1

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing gritty

• get down to the nitty-gritty
• nitty-gritty
• the nitty-gritty

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