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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
Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 22 May 2026
The junior second baseman, who transferred from UF after last season, drove a 1-0 pitch over the left-field wall with the score 8-8 to halt a gritty Gators’ comeback from a 7-1 deficit.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 May 2026
The finding that drew the most attention was not that gritty people were more talented.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
The Major League Eating speed-eating record for grits is 21 pounds in 10 minutes, held by Patrick Bertoletti, whose critics berated his gritty performance ad hominy.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for gritty
Cite this Entry
“Gritty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gritty. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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