GRITTY (grittier, grittiest)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: grittier    , grittiest   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does gritty mean? 

• GRITTY (adjective)
  The adjective GRITTY has 2 senses:

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

2. willing to face danger

  Familiarity information: GRITTY used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• GRITTY (adjective)

Comparative: grittier   
Superlative: grittiest   

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Synonyms:

coarse-grained; farinaceous; grainy; granular; granulose; gritty; mealy

Context example:

it left a mealy residue

Similar:

coarse; harsh (of textures that are rough to the touch or substances consisting of relatively large particles)

Derivation:

grit (a hard coarse-grained siliceous sandstone)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Willing to face danger

Synonyms:

game; gamey; gamy; gritty; mettlesome; spirited; spunky

Similar:

brave; courageous (possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching)

Derivation:

grit (fortitude and determination)

 Context examples 

“Let him go, I say,” he repeated; but this time his voice was gritty and metallic.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

A descriptive term that is used in anatomic pathology and refers to the gritty appearance of the cut surface of a specimen.

(Gritty Cut Surface, NCI Thesaurus)

This dust, you will observe, is not the gritty, grey dust of the street but the fluffy brown dust of the house, showing that it has been hung up indoors most of the time, while the marks of moisture upon the inside are proof positive that the wearer perspired very freely, and could therefore, hardly be in the best of training.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The leg of mutton came up very red within, and very pale without: besides having a foreign substance of a gritty nature sprinkled over it, as if if had had a fall into the ashes of that remarkable kitchen fireplace.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)