through gritted teeth

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phrase

   While feeling angry or unwilling but hiding it and doing or saying the thing anyway.

   Grammar: Comes after verbs like say, agree, smile, or accept: 'He agreed through gritted teeth.'

   Patterns

   • say something through gritted teeth
   • agree through gritted teeth
   • do something through gritted teeth

   She congratulated her rival through gritted teeth.

   He accepted the decision through gritted teeth, saying nothing more.

   Through gritted teeth, the manager told the team the plan would go ahead.

2. 2phrasefixed phrasefigurative

   Said or done with obvious effort to control strong anger or pain.

   Grammar: Often used after a verb to describe the manner of speaking: 'He spoke through gritted teeth.'

   Patterns

   • speak through gritted teeth
   • answer through gritted teeth

   "I'm fine," he said through gritted teeth, holding his injured arm.

   She answered through gritted teeth that everything was under control.

Common combinations

say something through gritted teeth

He said thank you through gritted teeth and walked away.

smile through gritted teeth

She smiled through gritted teeth as the customer complained again.

agree through gritted teeth

They agreed through gritted teeth to the new schedule.

through gritted teeth, admit something

Through gritted teeth, he admitted that his brother had been right.

Synonyms and how they differ

reluctantly

This means you are unwilling, but it says nothing about hidden anger, so it is weaker than the idiom.

grudgingly

This is close in meaning and often fits the same sentence, but it sounds more formal and less physical.

Opposites

Commonly confused: through gritted teeth or through clenched teeth?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “through gritted teeth”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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