grit

noun

\ ˈgrit

Definition of grit

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : sand, gravel

b : a hard sharp granule (as of sand) also : material (as many abrasives) composed of such granules

2 : any of several sandstones

3a : the structure of a stone that adapts it to grinding

b : the size of abrasive particles usually expressed as their mesh

4 : firmness of mind or spirit : unyielding courage in the face of hardship or danger managed to survive by his grit and guile

5 capitalized : a Liberal in Canadian politics

grit

verb

gritted; gritting

Definition of grit (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to give forth a grating sound dry snow gritting beneath our feet

transitive verb

1 : to cause (one's teeth) to grind or grate gritted his teeth and faced the challenge

2 : to cover or spread with grit especially : to smooth (a material, such as marble) with a coarse abrasive

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about grit

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Examples of grit in a Sentence

Noun

He shook out his shoes to remove the small rocks and grit. Through resourcefulness and grit, the pioneers survived the winter.

Verb

the crash victim gritted his teeth as a way of coping with the pain

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

But her glares, her nasty asides to Jon about Dany's beauty and his attraction to her, undermine Sansa's grit and intelligence and erode at her evolution from the petulant brat of Season 1. — Julie Kosin, Harper's BAZAAR, "The Game of Thrones Rivalry Between Sansa & Daenerys Is Gendered and Regressive," 16 Apr. 2019 The gratuitous ding letter taught him two lessons that have served him well in life: always show grit and never take yourself too seriously. — Mike Kerrigan, WSJ, "How to Handle Rejection When You Never Applied," 3 Mar. 2019 Left wing Patrick Maroon: Offers size, strength, grit and goals. — Kevin Allen, USA TODAY, "With Ilya Kovalchuk off board, an updated ranking of the top 15 potential free agents," 23 June 2018 Yet for all that Croatia deserves credit for its grit, England let the game slip. — Jonathan Wilson, SI.com, "Croatia's Character, Resiliency on Full Display in Shocking Run to World Cup Final," 11 July 2018 This is cooking for millennials, who lack the calloused fingers or grit of an old-time cook. — Bee Wilson, WSJ, "The Surprising Rewards of Meal Kits," 30 Nov. 2018 And the alt-country movement, which has co-opted the folk tradition, continued the grit and social criticism of the old days after the big-hatted mainstream moved into formula and political reaction. — Scott Timberg, Vox, "How music has responded to a decade of economic inequality," 30 July 2018 Nevertheless, Southerners won’t be putting down the grits for cream of wheat anytime soon. — Southern Living, "We Made Southerners Try Cream Of Wheat And It Couldn’t Compare To Grits," 15 June 2018 But lacking the grit and shock factor of the original, this version is just corny and dated. — Katie Walsh, Detroit Free Press, "Review: ‘SuperFly’ is outdated and out of touch," 13 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Immelt gritted his teeth at the name of Caroline Frawley, head of the Fed teams that patrolled the unit that spun out nearly half of GE’s profits. — Thomas Gryta And Ted Mann, WSJ, "GE Powered the American Century—Then It Burned Out," 14 Dec. 2018 What better way to express that feeling than through images of people gritting their teeth and forging toward their polling place? — Aja Romano, Vox, "The memes of the 2018 midterm elections reflect a feeling of urgency and determination," 6 Nov. 2018 Gone are the days of gritting your teeth through gritty soy lattes to avoid the gastrointestinal effects of lactose and dairy fat; a new, smoother, tastier league of mylks has arrived to appease dairy haters of every ilk. — Marian Bull, GQ, "The Best Non-Dairy Milks for Every Occasion," 12 June 2018 In response, many Russians will be gritting their teeth — and putting on their happy faces. — Samuel Putnam, Washington Post, "Russians don’t smile much, but that doesn’t mean they don’t like you," 30 June 2018 Myers tried to impress with his new team, gritting through an ailing wrist. — Tom Krasovic, sandiegouniontribune.com, "With big salaries coming, Wil Myers getting on track would be big for Padres," 20 June 2018 With teeth gritted, Axe comes this close to taking Frotty Anisman’s money, and selling off a piece of Axe Capital. — refinery29.com, "Billions Season 3, Episode 10 Recap: "Texas Roadkill Chili"," 28 May 2018 Both are upgrades on the floor, and neither will cause the Lakers front office to open Twitter with teeth gritted and one eye closed. — Nancy Armour, USA TODAY, "LaVar Ball's latest bluster shows Los Angeles Lakers need to trade Lonzo Ball," 5 July 2018 Beavers gritted out a 57-54 victory Friday over No. — Ken Goe, OregonLive.com, "Goe: Oregon State women show more grit than flash, but it's enough to beat Arizona State," 12 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'grit.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near grit

gristmill

grist to one's/the mill

Statistics for grit

Last Updated

3 May 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for grit

The first known use of grit was before the 12th century

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More Definitions for grit

grit

noun

English Language Learners Definition of grit

: very small pieces of sand or stone

informal : mental toughness and courage

See the full definition for grit in the English Language Learners Dictionary

grit

noun

\ ˈgrit

Kids Definition of grit

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : rough hard bits especially of sand

2 : strength of mind or spirit He had never learned to run properly, but … no one had more grit than he.— Katherine Paterson, Bridge to Terabithia