grit

1 of 2

noun

ˈgrit 

1

a

: sand, gravel

b

: a hard sharp granule (as of sand)

also : material (as many abrasives) composed of such granules

2

: any of several sandstones

3

a

: 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

2 of 2

verb

gritted; gritting

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

Noun

• backbone
• constancy
• fiber
• fortitude
• grittiness
• guts
• intestinal fortitude
• pluck
• spunk

Verb

• crunch
• gnash
• grate
• grind
• scrape
• scrunch

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

In a rural state where a small Jewish population often needs grit, ingenuity and strong relationships to achieve its goals, the small liberal arts college and the small Waterville synagogue have long been closely tied. —Jenna Russell Tristan Spinski, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024

There are small plates as well, including cozy Grass Valley grits ($9) from Early Bird Farm & Mill, topped with sweet molasses butter and served in a skillet. —Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 1 Apr. 2024

Opening the doors of a new restaurant is hard enough—keeping them open requires grit, talent, and a little magic. —Sarah James, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Mar. 2024

Some birds ingest grit—such as little stones, sand or shells—to help pulverize food, but the new species didn’t, per CNN, leaving its method of digestion a mystery. —Tara Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Mar. 2024

And Watkins’ grit was matched in whole by her fellow Trojans on Saturday night, the Ivys – McKenzie Forbes, Kaitlyn Davis and Kayla Padilla – all coming up with big-time plays in a game that seemed set to slip. —Luca Evans, Orange County Register, 9 Mar. 2024

Osteria by Fabio Viviani The brunch buffet runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and features frittatas; pancakes; charcuterie; carving and potato stations; shrimp and grits; and biscuits and gravy. —The Indianapolis Star, 27 Mar. 2024

Wright said the grit and maturity of Trammell and fellow guard Lamont Butler, the 21-year-old with an NBA physique and a passion for defense, also drove the weekend victories. —Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2024

King portrays her with the dignity, grit and passion of a trailblazer who made a difference, though the performance is rigorously unshowy. —David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Mar. 2024

Verb

Fans and players alike huddled for warmth, trying their best to grit their way through the fourth-coldest game in NFL history. —Dave Skretta, USA TODAY, 14 Jan. 2024

There’s plenty of talent and grit at Ivy League schools. —Diane Brady, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2024

The elder player grits his teeth and pumps his fist in frustration, realizing defeat lies ahead. —Clarence Williams, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024

Despite apparently suffering a minor injury to his previously uninjured leg, Ware gritted his way through a 23-point, 10-rebound performance that set the course for Indiana’s win. —Zach Osterman, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Feb. 2024

While Egwene's got her eye on the finish line, gritting through the crucible of her daily grind, Nynaeve's far less patient… and that's amplified by the fact that since last season's finale, she's been completely unable to tap into the Source. —Alex Raiman, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2023

Sprinkle a thin, lightweight layer of soil or grit on top. —Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 8 Feb. 2024

This blush comes in three different shades—dynamic, a deep plum shade; perseverance, a bright red; and grit, a vibrant pink. —Moriah Mason, Southern Living, 28 Nov. 2023

For four decades, patient savers able to grit their teeth through bubbles, crashes and geopolitical upheaval won the money game. —Spencer Jakab, WSJ, 25 Oct. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English greet, grete, going back to Old English grēot, going back to Germanic *greuta- "broken bits of stone, sand, gravel," (whence also Old Saxon griot "sand, gravel," Middle Dutch griet "coarse sand, grit," Old High German grioz, Old Icelandic grjót "gravel, pebbles"), noun derivative of *greutan- "to grind, crush" (whence Old High German gegrozan "coarse-grained," past participle of a presumed strong verb griozan "to crush"), going back to dialectal Indo-European *g^hreu̯dH-e/o-, whence, from zero grade, Lithuanian grū́džiu/grū́du, grū́sti "to crush, pulverize"; and from a nominal derivative with o-grade Russian grúda "heap, pile," Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian grȕda "lump, clod"

Note: The form grit (rarely grite) is first attested from the late sixteenth century, alongside the forms greet, greete and griet, which by the nineteenth century are considered dialectal. While the latter clearly continue the Middle and Old English etymon, the source of grit is uncertain, as Middle English ẹ̄ should not result in short i. It has been suggested, as by the Oxford English Dictionary, first edition, that short i has been taken from the vowel of grit in grits. — The Germanic verb is unattested outside of Old High German. The Indo-European base *g^hreu̯dH-e/o- has no solidly comparable progeny outside of Germanic and Balto-Slavic. Compare also grits, groats, grout entry 1.

Verb

derivative of grit entry 1, with some senses probably in part phonesthemic and in part influenced by grate entry 3

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1762, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing grit

• grit one's teeth

Kids Definition

grit

1 of 2 noun

ˈgrit 

1

a

: a small hard sharp particle (as of sand)

b

: material (as an abrasive) composed of grits

2

: firmness of mind or spirit : unyielding courage

gritty

ˈgrit-ē

adjective

grit

2 of 2 verb

gritted; gritting

: to grind or cause to grind : grate

grit one's teeth

Legal Definition

GRIT

abbreviation

grantor retained income trust