grit
Americannoun
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abrasive particles or granules, as of sand or other small, coarse impurities found in the air, food, water, etc.
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firmness of character; indomitable spirit; pluck.
She has a reputation for grit and common sense.
- Synonyms:
- courage, fortitude, resolution
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a coarse-grained siliceous rock, usually with sharp, angular grains.
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British. gravel.
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sand or other fine grainy particles eaten by fowl to aid in digestion.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
idioms
noun
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small hard particles of sand, earth, stone, etc
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Also called: gritstone. any coarse sandstone that can be used as a grindstone or millstone
-
the texture or grain of stone
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indomitable courage, toughness, or resolution
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engineering an arbitrary measure of the size of abrasive particles used in a grinding wheel or other abrasive process
verb
-
to clench or grind together (two objects, esp the teeth)
-
to cover (a surface, such as icy roads) with grit
noun
Other Word Forms
- gritless adjective
- gritter noun
Etymology
Origin of grit
First recorded before 1000; Middle English gret, griet, grit, Old English grēot; cognate with German Griess, Old Norse grjōt “pebble, boulder”; grits
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“She has spirit. She has determination. She has grit,” Sackler told USA Today.
From Salon
Focusing on McCartney’s first decade in the wake of The Beatles’ disbandment, Neville allots significant attention to the musician’s grit and determination during the formation of Wings, which underwent several lineup changes in the 1970s.
From Salon
I am feeling optimistic, because we've got a bit of grit.
From BBC
In the recorded annals of puffin military campaigns, never did a puffin march into battle with such dignified grit.
From Literature
I closed both eyes and gritted my teeth.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
