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grit

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grit one's teeth

Fig. to grind or clench one's teeth together in anger or determination. I was so mad, all I could do was stand there and grit my teeth. All through the race, Sally was gritting her teeth. She was really determined.

See also: grit, teeth

grit your teeth

to decide to deal with an unpleasant or difficult situation You may as well grit your teeth and accept that air travel is going to get worse before it gets better.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of grit your teeth (to press your teeth tightly together)

See also: grit, teeth

grit your teeth

to deal with something in a determined way When a test came along, I just gritted my teeth and studied harder because I knew I had to improve my grades.

See also: grit, teeth

grit your teeth

to accept a difficult situation and deal with it in a determined way I can't do anything to change the situation so I'll just have to grit my teeth and put up with it.

See also: grit, teeth

grit one's teeth

Summon up one's strength to face unpleasantness or overcome a difficulty. For example, Gritting his teeth, he dove into the icy water. This expression uses grit in the sense of both clamping one's teeth together and grinding them with effort. [Late 1700s]

See also: grit, teeth

grit

n. courage; nerve. It takes a lot of grit to do something like that.