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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
Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2025
One of Lipa’s most significant attributes is the husky tone of her mezzo-soprano, lending a gritty roughness to her songs’ pop polish.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 5 Oct. 2025
This is hard nose, grind it out, gritty, medieval knights, cold with a really light, hopeful touch.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Oct. 2025
So the idea of him playing someone who’s a little rougher and grittier and just completely relentless appealed to him.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gritty
Cite this Entry
“Gritty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gritty. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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