bitter
Americanadjective
-
bitterer,
comparative
-
bitterest
superlative
-
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
-
bitters
plural
-
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)
adverb
adjective
-
having 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
noun
-
a thing that is bitter
-
beer with a high hop content, with a slightly bitter taste
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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bitternessnoun
-
bitterishadjective
-
nonbitteradjective
-
overbitteradjective
-
unbitteradjective
-
bitterlyadverb
-
overbitterlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of bitter
First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English biter; cognate with German bitter, Old Norse bitr, Gothic baitrs; akin to bite
Explanation
If you usually drink your coffee with lots of cream and sugar in it, you might be surprised at how bitter plain black coffee can taste. Bitter means "having a sharp or harsh flavor." Bitter describes a particular pungent taste, like the sharpness of very dark chocolate (which is sometimes called bittersweet for its mixture of the two flavors). If you imagine taking that bitter taste on your tongue and turning it into an emotion, you've got another meaning of bitter: a resentful, angry feeling. And if you turn that bitter flavor into a physical feeling, you've got an adjective that describes a sharp, unpleasant sensation, like a cold, bitter wind.
Vocabulary lists containing bitter
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 3
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ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 1
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The afternoon began on a bitter note for USC.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
It's also taking place in the wake of a bitter US-China trade war that has only been resolved by a temporary truce, extended on this trip.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
When one happens, the ingredients will combine in a very unpleasant and bitter dish.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
For 20 years, its orange groves have been ravaged by an incurable disease that causes fruit to drop before it is ripe, and leaves it tasting bitter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
She wanted to plead with this young man not to blame God; she wanted to show him reasons not to become bitter.
From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
The group said it is also looking to cultural partnerships and activation in the on-premise scene, a strategy that has been central to above-industry growth at smaller peer Campari, maker of bitters Aperol.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
The group behind Aperol and Campari bitters recorded 2.5% organic sales growth in the quarter through June, with its core aperitifs business booking 4% growth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Then came the mid-aughts cocktail renaissance — speakeasy revival, vest-wearing bartenders, the return of obscure bitters, the emergence of the cocktail-as-craft.
From Salon ● Nov. 30, 2025
They also offer rosé and a crisp Sauvignon Blanc by the glass, but the frozen concoction with bitters was the perfect antidote for Coachella’s striking afternoon sun.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2024
Some chocolate had the bitters and you added sugar.
From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson
His face is bitterer than the cold as Miranda asks him how his apartment hunt is going.
From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2023
That’s a bitter joke, but no bitterer than the tone of the English master’s sweeping historical drama about the slaughter of a group of peaceful labor organizers at a mass protest in 1819.
From Slate ● Dec. 6, 2019
“Information warfare will grow far bitterer, and that’s something we will have to live with during the upcoming period.”
From Washington Times ● Mar. 5, 2018
It’s hard to say which of them produced the bitterer barbs.
From Time ● Sep. 24, 2015
Still, they say the bitterer the medicine the quicker the cure.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
Some of the regime’s bitterest enemies in Miami became its de facto financial supporters as they sent their grandparents money without which they couldn’t survive.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026
To forget the bitterest chapters of our personal histories can be overwhelmingly tempting when there’s so much to deal with, right in front of us.
From Salon ● May 25, 2026
The movie’s bitterest irony is that, of the two men, it’s ultimately Dee who may be more honorable.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2026
In 2022 the two men ran one of the bitterest Senate races in recent memory.
From Slate ● Nov. 22, 2024
Deciding how many of them should be in conference room B at three o’clock had sparked their longest and bitterest debate.
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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.
