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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
John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024
Bettye LaVette did one of the most emotionally cathartic versions in 2020, a gritty old-school R&B performance at 74, singing the lyrics in the first person.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2024
Known for its gritty depictions of teenage debauchery, the series tackled controversial topics such as substance abuse, sexuality and mental illness.
—Catherine Santino, Peoplemag, 25 Mar. 2024
Not only do Bamboozled’s gritty aesthetic and maniacal spirit bolster its message about Hollywood’s racist core, but Lee implicates everyone — from the white television executive (Michael Rapaport) to the mixed-race audiences who make Pierre’s show a success.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Mar. 2024
Most of the movie takes place in broad daylight, not at all the aesthetic audiences expect from a modern-day war movie, which typically uses strategic filters to make everything look gritty.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 15 Mar. 2024
But the four-time Grammy winner’s buttery smooth vocals over gritty guitar melodies aren’t the only things that have had us in a trance over the years.
—Akili King, Essence, 12 Mar. 2024
Young audiences connected with the film’s rebellious antiheroes and imitated their brand of gritty glamor.
—Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2024
Kaitlyn Davis scrapped for a season-high 16 rebounds in a gritty performance that Gottlieb said deserves just as much recognition as Watkins’ 33-point effort on a sprained ankle.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 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
1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing gritty
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Cite this Entry
“Gritty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gritty. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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More from Merriam-Webster on gritty
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for gritty
Nglish: Translation of gritty for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of gritty for Arabic Speakers
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