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 Understanding exactly how fusion works, in the grittiest detail, is therefore of extreme interest to nuclear-weapons scientists. — Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026 While the current trend is glossy and gritty coatings that transform denim into something else, US Denim sees a return to finishing that highlights denim’s organic texture and character. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026 Baugh delivered his grittiest effort yet The yards seemed to come easily for Baugh during Florida’s 4-0 start. — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026 Both works include a setting in a gritty Brooklyn waterfront neighborhood that’s also part of the title used for the original Lovecraft story. — J. D. Biersdorfer, New York Times, 13 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
  • 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
  • The record offered an unflinching look at her struggles with substance abuse and heartache.
    — Olivia-Anne Cleary, Time, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of unflinching
Adjective
  • On the Mediterranean side, Playa de Santa Bárbara is a wide sandy beach north of the border, with the immense Rock of Gibraltar rising to the south — a potentially spectacular foreground.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • In 2025, Kuznietsov was arrested by Italian police in Rimini – a city in northern Italy known for its sandy beaches and Roman landmarks – and later extradited to Germany.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of sandy
Adjective
  • Burning buildings provide a vivid contemporary backdrop for that message.
    — Tyler Speicher, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • My biography, which is now in paperback, is an effort to bring the woman and her life into vivid color.
    — Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of vivid
Adjective
  • Antonio Raimondo scored a hat trick for Frosinone in a 4-2 win over Sassuolo in Serie A on Friday, and Toulouse netted three times in the second half to overcome a plucky Le Mans 3-0 in the French league.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The plucky Chicago White Sox are the only lower-seeded team to win a Wild Card Series, and their reward is a trip to Cleveland to take on their division rivals, the Guardians.
    — The Athletic MLB Staff, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of plucky
Adjective
  • Think earthy stone surfaces, deep woods, and sleek modern headboards juxtaposed with the kind of rustic, wooly blankets that would fit nicely into Ralph Lauren’s Colorado ranch.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Beefy tomato slices splashed with buttermilk dressing and earthy, concentrated tomato vine vinegar.
    — Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of earthy
Adjective
  • Oftentimes, players’ ensembles take on an avant-garde and expressive quality, curated in collaboration with renowned designers and stylists.
    — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026
  • But whereas the liberal shift in Egypt was especially pronounced in attitudes toward secular politics, in Turkey the largest shifts toward liberal views related to views of gender equality and expressive individualism.
    — Mansoor Moaddel, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of expressive
Adjective
  • Moreover, merely establishing credibility to act cannot necessarily overwhelm a resolute adversary, as has been borne out in Iran.
    — Christopher Nichols, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026
  • According to biographer Anne Sebba, Simpson’s answer was resolute.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 7 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 25 Oct. 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 emissary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 23

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

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

The Longest Long Words List

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
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All