Present participle of grit; the act of clenching one's teeth, spreading grit on surfaces, or demonstrating determined perseverance.
From 'grit' as verb plus '-ing' suffix, showing ongoing action derived from the noun meaning sand or gravel.
Gritting your teeth is so universal that it's a stress response recognized across cultures—our bodies automatically clench our jaws during hard moments, which is why the word evolved to mean determination itself.
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