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bitter
[ bit-er ]
adjective
- having a harsh, disagreeably acrid taste, like that of aspirin, quinine, wormwood, or aloes.
Synonyms: distasteful, unpalatable, acrid
- producing one of the four basic taste sensations; not sour, sweet, or salt.
- hard to bear; grievous; distressful:
a bitter sorrow.
- causing pain; piercing; stinging:
a bitter chill.
- characterized by intense antagonism or hostility:
bitter hatred.
Synonyms: relentless, ruthless, cruel, fierce
- hard to admit or accept:
a bitter lesson.
- resentful or cynical:
bitter words.
Synonyms: scornful, sardonic, biting, caustic, acrimonious
noun
- that which is bitter; bitterness:
Learn to take the bitter with the sweet.
- British. a very dry ale having a strong taste of hops.
verb (used with object)
- to make bitter:
herbs employed to bitter vermouth.
adverb
a bitter cold night.
bitter
/ ˈbɪtə /
adjective
- See sourhaving or denoting an unpalatable harsh taste, as the peel of an orange or coffee dregs Compare sour
- showing or caused by strong unrelenting hostility or resentment
he was still bitter about the divorce
- difficult or unpleasant to accept or admit
a bitter blow
- cutting; sarcastic
bitter words
- bitingly cold
a bitter night
adverb
- very; extremely (esp in the phrase bitter cold )
noun
- a thing that is bitter
- beer with a high hop content, with a slightly bitter taste
verb
- to make or become bitter
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Derived Forms
- ˈbitterness, noun
- ˈbitterly, adverb
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Other Words From
- bit·ter·ish adjective
- bit·ter·ly adverb
- bit·ter·ness noun
- non·bit·ter adjective
- o·ver·bit·ter adjective
- over·bit·ter·ly adverb
- un·bit·ter adjective
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Word History and Origins
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Word History and Origins
Origin of bitter1
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Idioms and Phrases
- take the bitter with the sweet
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Example Sentences
Weeks retained an unparalleled legal team, which included bitter political rivals Hamilton and Burr.
For Randy, a 50-year-old ex-Mormon gay man, this cure was a particularly bitter pill to swallow.
This is a time for many bitter tears and, one can only hope, a better future.
There was a collective gasp at both the four-letter word and the bitter sentiment it carried.
By halftime a crowd of what appeared to be a few hundred people had amassed in the bitter cold.
As Felipe talked with him, he perceived even more clearly how bitter and unjust his mother had been to Alessandro.
O death, how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that hath peace in his possessions!
She suddenly sank back upon the pillow and gave up to bitter anguish, when she recalled what had followed.
Gordon gave a bitter laugh and went on, with the same strange, serious air of explaining his plan.
If he had only been himself I should have had nothing more to desire, but he was in one of his bitter, sarcastic moods.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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