grit

American  

[grit] / grɪt /

noun

1. abrasive particles or granules, as of sand or other small, coarse impurities found in the air, food, water, etc.

2. firmness of character; indomitable spirit; pluck.

   She has a reputation for grit and common sense.

   Synonyms:

   courage, fortitude, resolution

3. a coarse-grained siliceous rock, usually with sharp, angular grains.

4. British. gravel.

5. sand or other fine grainy particles eaten by fowl to aid in digestion.

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verb (used with object)

gritted, gritting

1. to cause to grind or grate together.

verb (used without object)

gritted, gritting

1. to make a scratchy or slightly grating sound, as of sand being walked on; grate.

idioms

1. grit one's teeth, to show tenseness, anger, or determination by or as if by clamping or grinding the teeth together.

grit ¹ British  

/ ɡrɪt /

noun

1. small hard particles of sand, earth, stone, etc

2. Also called: gritstone.  any coarse sandstone that can be used as a grindstone or millstone

3. the texture or grain of stone

4. indomitable courage, toughness, or resolution

5. engineering an arbitrary measure of the size of abrasive particles used in a grinding wheel or other abrasive process

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verb

1. to clench or grind together (two objects, esp the teeth)

2. to cover (a surface, such as icy roads) with grit

Grit ² British  

/ ɡrɪt /

noun

1. an informal word for Liberal

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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

But people close to Guthrie believe her grit and deep religious faith will provide her with the strength to move forward.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

Yet in a remarkable demonstration of their grit, Butterfield and Kean scored six points across the final two ends to force an extra decider, but misjudged their final two shots as Italy won 11-10.

From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026

For the Pistons, it was rare back-to-back losses, despite star man Cade Cunningham showing grit in a losing cause with 26 points.

From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026

She understands the sacrifices families made to get to the United States, she said, asserting that she owes those families “that same level of energy and grit and determination.”

From Salon • Mar. 2, 2026

I urged my horse on and caught up with her, tasting a little grit in my teeth from the dusty road.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Related Words

• daring
• fortitude
• guts
• moxie
• perseverance
• spirit
• spunk
• tenacity
• toughness