Definition of nitty-gritty - Reverso English Dictionary

Noun

main pointmost important or central part of something

Let's get down to the nitty-gritty.
We finally reached the nitty-gritty of the issue.
She focused on the nitty-gritty during the meeting.

crux

essence

Add a suggestion |

Feedback:

Expressions with nitty-gritty

💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.

get down to the nitty-gritty

start focusing on the most important details

Let's get down to the nitty-gritty and solve this problem.

the nitty-gritty of life

basic and essential aspects of life

Understanding the nitty-gritty of life is crucial for success.

Origin of nitty-gritty

English, nitty (full of nits) + gritty (containing grit)

View all translations of nitty-gritty

✨Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.

French:essentiel, ...
German:Wesentliche, ...
Italian:essenza, ...
Spanish:meollo, ...
Portuguese:essencial, ...
Chinese:核心问题, ...
Japanese:本題, ...
Arabic:جوهر الموضوع, ...
Hebrew:הָעִקָּר, ...
Russian:суть, ...
Ukrainian:суть, ...
Hindi:मूल बात, ...
Bengali:মূল বিষয়, ...
Catalan:nucli, ...
Czech:podstata, ...
Danish:sagens kerne, ...
Dutch:kern, ...
Greek:ουσία, ...
Hungarian:lényeg, ...
Khmer:ចំណុចសំខាន់បំផុត, ...
Korean:핵심, ...
Persian:اصل مطلب, ...
Polish:sedno sprawy, ...
Portuguese (BR):ponto principal, ...
Romanian:esențial, ...
Swedish:kärna, ...
Thai:แก่นสำคัญ, ...
Turkish:asıl mesele, ...
Vietnamese:trọng tâm, ...

Discover how Reverso redefines the dictionary

Go beyond “simple words”

100,000 expressions & idioms Understand any expression you come across: from corporate jargon like 💬 touch base or ↩️ circle back to everyday expressions such as 🌊 out of the blue or 🦆 lame duck, as well as idioms like 🍲 spill the beans and 🐎 hold your horses.

40,000 images When you search for a concrete noun or object, images help you grasp the meaning at a glance. Try searching for 🧵 puppytooth, 🎠 merry-go-round, ⚜️ fleur-de-lys, or 💤 bunk bed.

Informal language & slang Everyday conversations are packed with informal expressions and slang. Meanings are clearly tagged, so you'll always know when a word is casual. Look up hangry (😋 hungry + 😡 angry), 😎 rizz, 🕹️ noob, or 🔑 low-key.

Abbreviations & acronyms Quickly decode modern abbreviations and acronyms. Go from IDK to OMG in seconds and stay up to date with popular abbreviations such as 🐐 GOAT, 📜 tl;dr, 👀 POV, or 🖥️ AFK.

Regional usage (US / UK) Reverso highlights regional differences between American and British English. You’ll never have to wonder where a word is commonly used: try lift vs. elevator, courgette vs. zucchini, or popular British slang like dodgy or banter. What’s more, when you search for 'color', you’ll immediately see its British counterpart, 'colour'.

Get more than a simple definition

Translations for each meaning View translations alongside each meaning to see how a word is translated in each context. Simply toggle translations ON and choose among 25+ languages. You can also display the translation of definitions or examples into your native language to deepen your understanding.

Synonyms & related words by meaning View synonyms and related words for each meaning, not just for the word as a whole. This helps you choose the most accurate word for your context. Click the

icon to discover related terms: analogies, antonyms, common collocates, words with same roots, umbrella terms… Try with happening or hunch.

Multiple examples for every meaning Each meaning comes with three real-life examples to show you how the word is used in different contexts. Click the

icon next to the first example to see two additional options and learn to use new vocabulary naturally.

Go from understanding to mastery

Save words for later review Click the

icon to save words you want to revisit. You can also save a specific meaning by clicking on the

icon next to it. For example, you might want to save the word “table” as a verb, which means “to postpone”.

Practice with personalized flashcards Reverso automatically transforms your searches and saved words into personalized flashcards and quizzes, featuring high-quality audio and usage examples. This helps you transform terms you only recognize into words you actually use confidently.

Learn with Netflix, YouTube, and your favorite texts With Reverso Chrome extension, transform movies, TV shows, articles, or song lyrics into an interactive lesson. Look up words and expressions in one click on any website and learn with your favorite content.