gritty

adjective

grit·​ty ˈgri-tē How to pronounce gritty (audio)
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 adverb
grittiness 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 What was surprising to many, was Jason’s open vulnerability, revealing a depth of emotion typically not associated with the tough and gritty nature of football. Kristina Behr, Parents, 6 Mar. 2024 To get the girly and gritty feel that's quintessential to this aesthetic, pair black accents in your space with soft, pastel shades like soft pink, lilac, butter yellow, powder blue, and cream. Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Mar. 2024 And while physical body scrubs have been a shower staple for some time, sophisticated chemical exfoliators are a welcome addition to these gritty formulas. Hannah Baxter, Allure, 5 Mar. 2024 Stapleton’s vocals were tender one moment, gritty and blues-drenched the next, rising from a deep growl to a falsetto swoop without a hint of affectation. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024 In the trailer, the film’s palette pops so bright, the footage almost looks like Technicolor — a contrast to the more dark and gritty style largely embraced by Westerns since Clint Eastwood’s 1992 classic Unforgiven. James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Feb. 2024 Hotelier André Balazs subjected his acquisition to a facelift that erased much of its gritty and dilapidated charm. Myriam Gurba, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2024 Also significantly, the Heat has resumed resembling the gritty, high-effort team that was missing for large stretches of the seven-game skid. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2024 Gunn goes for a gritty, dim look to give the film the air of authentic social realism. Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gritty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

grit entry 1 + -y entry 1

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gritty was in 1598

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Dictionary Entries Near gritty

Cite this Entry

“Gritty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gritty. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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