What it means
Grit is that quiet, stubborn toughness that keeps you moving when everything's gone a bit sideways. It's not flashy bravado. It's backbone. The bit in you that digs in, carries on, and refuses to fold even when you're knackered, hurting, or sick of the whole circus.
Usage examples
"She limped over the line, ankle taped up, still smiling. Fair play, that’s pure grit. I’d have tapped out and ordered chips."
"It took real grit to finish that marathon on a dodgy knee, the last three miles were pure willpower."
"She rebuilt the business from nothing after the fire, you have to admire that kind of grit."
"He'd been knocked back three times and still turned up smiling, ready to have another go. That's grit, that is."
"You could see the grit in her by the last round. She was shattered but she kept marching forward like quitting wasn't even on the menu."
Where it comes from
Originally grit meant tiny rough bits like sand or crushed stone. In 19th century American English, that roughness got turned into a character word, so grit came to mean inner toughness, courage, and the stubborn keep-going juice that doesn't quit when things get ugly.
Other ways to say it
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