Standard Lemma guide

gritty

adj · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈɡɹɪti/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪti
  • CMU ARPABET: G R IH1 T IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Containing sand or grit; consisting of grit; caused by grit; full of hard particles.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Spirited; resolute; unyielding.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • That goth woman is very gritty.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Intense and starkly realistic; depicting harsh reality, especially violence.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: broadcasting, film, literature, media, publishing, television

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

willing to face danger

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: game, gamy, gamey, mettlesome, spirited, spunky

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

composed of or covered with particles resembling meal in texture or consistency

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • granular sugar
  • the photographs were grainy and indistinct
  • it left a mealy residue

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: farinaceous, coarse-grained, grainy, granular, granulose, mealy

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English grit Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English gritty From grit + -y.

Across languages

Translations

37 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: пясъчен (pjasǎčen) — containing sand or grit
  • Bulgarian: песъчлив (pesǎčliv) — containing sand or grit
  • Czech: písčitý — containing sand or grit
  • Czech: štěrkovitý — containing sand or grit
  • Finnish: hiekkainen — containing sand or grit
  • French: graveleux — containing sand or grit
  • Georgian: ქვიშიანი (kvišiani) — containing sand or grit
  • German: sandig — containing sand or grit
  • Hungarian: homokos — containing sand or grit
  • Māori: māngūngungu — containing sand or grit
  • Polish: piaszczysty — containing sand or grit
  • Polish: żwirowaty — containing sand or grit
  • Portuguese: arenoso — containing sand or grit
  • Portuguese: granuloso — containing sand or grit
  • Spanish: gravilloso — containing sand or grit
  • Spanish: arenoso — containing sand or grit
  • Bulgarian: твърд (tvǎrd) — spirited; resolute; unyielding
  • Bulgarian: издръжлив (izdrǎžliv) — spirited; resolute; unyielding
  • Czech: odvážný — spirited; resolute; unyielding
  • Czech: odhodlaný — spirited; resolute; unyielding
  • Finnish: sisukas — spirited; resolute; unyielding
  • Finnish: peräänantamaton — spirited; resolute; unyielding
  • French: résolu — spirited; resolute; unyielding
  • French: déterminé — spirited; resolute; unyielding
  • Georgian: შეუპოვარი (šeuṗovari) — spirited; resolute; unyielding
  • German: mutig — spirited; resolute; unyielding
  • Hungarian: karakán — spirited; resolute; unyielding
  • Italian: coraggioso — spirited; resolute; unyielding
  • Italian: spiritoso — spirited; resolute; unyielding
  • Māori: niwha — spirited; resolute; unyielding
  • Māori: māngēngenge — spirited; resolute; unyielding
  • Polish: śmiały — spirited; resolute; unyielding
  • Spanish: resoluto — spirited; resolute; unyielding
  • Czech: drsný — intense and starkly realistic, especially if violent
  • Finnish: inhorealistinen — intense and starkly realistic, especially if violent
  • Polish: realistyczny — intense and starkly realistic, especially if violent
  • Spanish: descarnado — intense and starkly realistic, especially if violent
Real reading context

gritty in complete knowledge articles