gritty

adjective

Definition of grittynext
1
as in unflinching

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
2
as in sandy

Related Words

Dissimilar Words
3
as in vivid

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gritty Hitchcock used his Alfred Hitchcock Presents crew to shoot Psycho in black and white with a short shooting schedule and a lower budget, and this lends a grittier, bleaker feel to the project. — Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026 With its stunning views, retro-modern look, and prime location in the gritty-slash-bougie Meatpacking District, this hotel is anything but standard. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Oct. 2026 While further plot details can’t be spoiled, the opening sequence has Tarantino’s distinguished style of writing and visually, the Hollywood of 1977 is, in true Fincher style, gritty and dark. — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 24 Oct. 2026 But the juxtaposition of calming greenery in a gritty urban setting is quintessentially High Line. — Kim Velsey, Curbed, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gritty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gritty
  1. unflinching
  2. sandy
  3. vivid
  4. plucky
  5. earthy
  6. expressive
  7. resolute
  8. gravelly
Adjective
  • The unflinching depiction of the human toll of the kaiju carnage heightens the stakes, but it’s used to address larger themes as well.
    — James Grebey, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Like Leavitt, Zacharia lacked the traditional political, policy, or journalistic background for the role, but her willingness to express unflinching support for the president’s policies won her his support.
    — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of unflinching
Adjective
  • Nigel Eccles, a sandy-haired former McKinsey consultant, grew up on a dairy farm in Northern Ireland and knew nothing about American sports.
    — New Yorker, New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Species living on sandy seabeds or those with very different body shapes and arm lengths might use different strategies to negotiate openings, Kuba added.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of sandy
Adjective
  • The outlines of her life were clear but the insides dark, lit up by vivid memories here and there.
    — Kieran Setiya, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Monitor Heartland Correspondent Harry Bruinius spent months on the Mother Road looking for those kinds of stories, and revealed a vivid portrait of Americans and their country.
    — Harry Bruinius, Christian Science Monitor, 9 Nov. 2026
Definition of vivid
Adjective
  • Jumping in the race with little money or name recognition, Hinojosa engineered a plucky and populist challenge, railing against artificial intelligence data centers and corruption to down Abbott.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Harbach spent a decade writing it; it was turned down by umpteen literary gatekeepers; eventually, one plucky young agent took a chance on it, and a bidding war ensued.
    — Malcolm Forbes, Christian Science Monitor, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of plucky
Adjective
  • The endless summer spirit can also be seen through the boutique’s palette of neutral, earthy and nude tones alongside natural materials, including large shell fixtures and high-craft and bespoke details.
    — Emily Mercer, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Crockery, rendered in a range of earthy tones, was crafted by potters whom guests can join for classes.
    — Selina Denman, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of earthy
Adjective
  • If a small team can build something playable and expressive enough to assess earlier, the expensive decisions can come later, when there is a much better sense of what works.
    — Ben Feder, Fortune, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Students and faculty shouldn’t have to finance years of litigation to enjoy the expressive freedoms their universities promise.
    — Ilya Shapiro, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of expressive
Adjective
  • Remembering Dolores Huerta The fiery and resolute activist who helped launch and guide the nation’s first enduring labor union for poor farmworkers, and later became an inspiration to women and liberal true believers, has died.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • And after October 7, opposition to the notion has become far more resolute.
    — Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of resolute
Adjective
  • Tonight’s cold open also featured a cameo by Robert Kennedy Jr, played by James Austin Johnson, who tried to mimic the gravelly voice of the secretary of health and human services.
    — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee — who’s been honored for his work as a solo artist and a member of Faces — is known for belting out ballads and rock numbers through an unmistake gravelly voice.
    — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of gravelly

Browse Nearby Words

gritting
gritty
grizzle
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Gritty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gritty. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gauntlet

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All