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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
Mathew Scott, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Nov. 2024
In its early stages especially, as Frankenstein collects the pieces for his monster, the movie has an atmosphere of later, grittier films that examine the psychopathy of twisted men, like Maniac (1963) and Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986).
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 30 Oct. 2024
The Dodgers lose the first two in the Bronx and win the next four, a comeback launched by that gritty Fernando Valenzuela start in Game 3 at the Ravine.
Or 1978.
—Jim Alexander, Orange County Register, 27 Oct. 2024
Director Neill Blomkamp is best known for his gritty, allegorical sci-fi films.
—Issy Van Der Velde, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near gritty
Cite this Entry
“Gritty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gritty. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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