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Glite Dictionary
💪 Courage and strength 🪨 Rough stone 😬 To clench teeth 🚜 To spread sand
to grit

to grit

7 5.6
To press your teeth together when you feel angry or in pain
  • verb
  • /ɡrɪt/
translation icon : apretar los dientes
  • She decided to grit her teeth and ignore the criticism while finishing her project.
  • grit your teeth
  • make someone grit their teeth

My father's philosophy was endurance isn't just teeth gritting, muscle flexing strength.

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Examples

  • Seeing as how it was Mitch, though, we had to grit our teeth and bear with it.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • Andy grits his teeth and accelerates toward the cluster of traffic stopped at the first light.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • Now, you just grit your teeth a little bit longer.

    High Plains Drifter (1973)

  • Did you close your eyes and grit your teeth and think of the cash?

    Shadows and Fog (1991)

  • Just grit your teeth and cut!

    Riding the Bullet (2004)

  • Just grit your teeth, just sit.

    Lassiter (1984)

  • I am sure I might have to grit my teeth a lot.

    Blog text (5)

  • The unfairness of it made her grit her teeth.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • When I step onto the dirt floor, I nearly lose my balance, but I grit my teeth and quickly regain control.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • During this speech, Willcox Hillyer grits his teeth but says nothing.

    Fiction book (1991)

Synonyms

to clench
vsto grit
70 3.5

To squeeze something tightly with your hands or teeth

is a specific teeth press used especially for anger determination or pain
to gnash
vsto grit
7 8.0

To grind your teeth together because you feel angry or in pain

is a tight press used for anger determination or pain
to gnash one's teeth
vsto grit
1 7.9

To grind your teeth together because you feel angry or frustrated

is a tight press used for anger determination or pain
to grit one's teeth
vsto grit
  • Informal
1 7.0

To press your teeth together to accept pain or keep going

is a physical teeth press often for anger pain rather than mental resolve

Antonyms

to relax
∞ 1.0

To feel less nervous and more calm

to release
∞ 1.8

To let someone or something go free from being held

Phrasal Verbs

to grit one's teeth
  • Informal
1 7.0

To press your teeth together to accept pain or keep going

Compounds

incredible grit
4.4

A very strong will to keep trying when things are hard

How Tightly

to grit one's teeth
  • Informal
1 7.0
to grit
7 5.6
to gnash
7 8.0
to grind
33 4.8

Surface Forms

grit infinitive
gritted past
gritted past participle
gritting present participle
grits third person singular

Etymology

Grit (as in 'grit your teeth') can be remembered by the image of teeth making a hard, grinding sound like rubbing small stones together. A helpful way to remember it is that to grit your teeth is to press them tight in pain, anger, or determination.