noun
grit
griht
noun
1
Small, hard particles such as sand, dirt, or grime.
"Grit from the road covered the windshield after the storm."
2
Courage, determination, and mental toughness in the face of difficulty.
"It took real grit for her to finish the marathon on an injured knee."
verb
1
To clench (the teeth), especially to endure pain or push through difficulty.
"He gritted his teeth and kept running through the pain."
How to Use Grit
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither rough, sandy particles, or (more commonly today) the inner toughness to push through hardship.
Common pairings
show grit
grit your teeth
true grit
grit and determination
Word Forms
gritted past tense, grit past tense, grits plural, Grits plural, grits singular
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_____ from the road covered the windshield after the storm.
Etymology
From Old English grēot, meaning coarse sand or gravel — the figurative sense of "toughness" or "courage" developed much later, likening a person's resolve to something hard and unyielding.