The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms - grittyadj.

1) sandy, gravelly, granular, grainy, rough, abrasive, rasping, arenose: The texture of the mud-pack felt somewhat gritty on her face. 2) courageous, valorous, brave, resolute, tough, mettlesome, plucky, spirited, game, intrepid, dauntless, tenacious, determined, persistent, firm, hardy, staunch, stalwart, doughty, fearless, Colloq gutsy, spunky: The band of gritty frontiersman was led by Sheriff Boswell.