Grit Meaning: Toughness That Lasts

Grit definition: two senses, one rough idea

1. Strength of character. Brave, steady determination to continue through difficulty, especially over a long stretch of time. It took real grit to finish the night course while working full time.
2. Small particles. Fine sand, dust or crushed stone. The salad was full of grit because the spinach was not washed. Grit is also the word for the coarseness of sandpaper or grinding wheels, shown by a number: lower numbers are rougher, higher numbers are finer.

The two senses are linked by roughness. Physical grit is hard and abrasive; a person with grit is hard to wear down. When people define grit in character terms, they usually stress two things together: effort that keeps going, and a goal that stays the same for months or years.

Grit meaning in real sentences

• The team showed grit, coming back from three goals down in the second half.
• My bike chain squeaks because there is grit stuck in it.
• She gritted her teeth and carried the heavy box up four flights of stairs.
• Learning to code at forty takes patience and a fair amount of grit.
• The road crew spread grit on the icy hill before the school buses came.
• The film critic praised the gritty, unglamorous look of the city streets.

The verb and the adjective gritty

As a verb, grit means to clench or grind something together, almost always teeth. Grit your teeth means to accept something painful or unpleasant and push through it. The past form doubles the t: gritted, gritting.

The adjective gritty has kept both senses. Gritty sand feels rough between your fingers. A gritty performance is tough and determined. A gritty story or photograph shows harsh, real life without polish, such as poverty, crime or hard labor. The surrounding words show which sense applies.

Phrases you will often hear: show grit, true grit, sheer grit, grit and determination and grit and resilience.

Where the word came from

Grit goes back to Old English greot, meaning sand, dust, earth or gravel. It is related to Old Norse grjot (stone) and German Grieß (semolina, coarse meal). The figurative sense of pluck and firmness of mind shows up in American English writing in 1808, so the character meaning is about two centuries old, while the sand meaning is more than a thousand years old. The verb, first used for making a grating sound, appears in the 1700s.

Grit compared with close words

A short brave act is courage. Grit is courage that lasts, the kind you need for a marathon, a long illness in the family or a business that takes years to profit.

Grit in schools, offices and sport

In education, the word became popular through psychology research that describes grit as passion and perseverance for long term goals. Teachers may talk about building grit so students keep trying when work gets hard. Some researchers and teachers question how much grit can be taught, and point out that money, health and support also shape whether a person can keep going. Both views are common.

In job interviews, a story about finishing a tough project is a way to show grit. Sports writers use the word for players who are not the most gifted but outwork everyone. If grit interests you, browse the character and emotion words, starting with diligent and adversity.

Mix ups to avoid

Do not confuse grit with grits. Grits (plural) is a dish of coarsely ground corn, boiled into a porridge, eaten mainly in the southern United States. It is a separate word in everyday use.

Also, grit is uncountable in its character sense: say a lot of grit or real grit, not a grit or grits. In the sand sense you can say a piece of grit or a speck of grit.