Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Containing, covered with, or resembling grit.
  • adjective Showing resolution and fortitude; plucky.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Containing sand or grit; consisting of grit; full of or covered with hard particles; sandy.
  • Courageous and resolute; determined; plucky.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Containing sand or grit; consisting of grit; caused by grit; full of hard particles.
  • adjective Colloq., U. S. Spirited; resolute; unyielding.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Containing sand or grit; consisting of grit; caused by grit; full of hard particles.
  • adjective Spirited; resolute; unyielding.
  • adjective film, literature Intense and starkly realistic, especially if violent.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective willing to face danger
  • adjective composed of or covered with particles resembling meal in texture or consistency

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Like other USA series, "the reality is slightly heightened, (and) gritty is a word you would not apply," Eastin says.

    With 'White Collar,' cable's USA Network collars new characters 2009

  • Still, a lively, big-hearted tale, drenched in gritty working-class ambience.

    Traveler by Ron McLarty: Book summary 2010

  • Ruben takes the boy under his wing, training him and putting him into a stable of up-and-coming fighters who tour neighboring towns to fight in gritty matches with small purses and high risks of injury.

    70s Cinema: Fat City « Screaming Blue Reviews 2009

  • One of the issues I have with gamers, aside getting hung up on the nitty-gritty, is often the wish that the game they were playing was actually a different game altogether.

    Going Out SVGL 2008

  • The game was gritty from the start and three technicals were called before the first quarter was over - on Bryant, teammate Derek Fisher and the Rockets 'Aaron Brooks.

    USATODAY.com 2008

  • Even in gritty noir films, he was cast as the genial, sincere foil to the bad boys.

    Caught in the Crossfire: Adrian Scott and the Politics of Americanism in 1940s Hollywood 2007

  • No need to jump ahead of ourselves while the nitty-gritty is being invented. but at this point in my opinion QM models like the Penrose-Hammeroff ORCH-OR model is little more that speculation.

    A Third Choice (ID Hypothesis) 2007

  • I mean, even Publishers Weekly said – ‘Like Raymond Chandler, Hamilton describes California in gritty, lyrical prose …’ They said more, so get thee to her website.

    ON THE BUBBLE WITH DENISE HAMILTON 2006

  • I mean, even Publishers Weekly said – ‘Like Raymond Chandler, Hamilton describes California in gritty, lyrical prose …’ They said more, so get thee to her website.

    April 2006 2006

  • The word gritty could have been invented just to describe Lehane's people, places, plots -- hey, the butter is gritty in his books.

    Mean Street Makeover 2007

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