bitter

[bit-er]

adjective

bitterer, bitterest 

1. having a harsh, disagreeably acrid taste, like that of aspirin, quinine, wormwood, or aloes.

   Synonyms: distasteful, unpalatable, acrid

2. producing one of the four basic taste sensations; not sour, sweet, or salt.

3. hard to bear; grievous; distressful.

   a bitter sorrow.

   Synonyms: painful, poignant

4. causing pain; piercing; stinging.

   a bitter chill.

   Synonyms: nipping, biting

5. characterized by intense antagonism or hostility.

   bitter hatred.

   Synonyms: relentless, ruthless, cruel, fierce

6. hard to admit or accept.

   a bitter lesson.

7. resentful or cynical.

   bitter words.

   Synonyms: scornful, sardonic, biting, caustic, acrimonious

noun

1. that which is bitter; bitterness.

   Learn to take the bitter with the sweet.

2. British.,  a very dry ale having a strong taste of hops.

verb (used with object)

1. to make bitter.

   herbs employed to bitter vermouth.

adverb

1. extremely; very; exceedingly.

   a bitter cold night.

bitter

/ ˈbɪtə /

adjective

1. having or denoting an unpalatable harsh taste, as the peel of an orange or coffee dregs Compare sour

2. showing or caused by strong unrelenting hostility or resentment

   he was still bitter about the divorce

3. difficult or unpleasant to accept or admit

   a bitter blow

4. cutting; sarcastic

   bitter words

5. bitingly cold

   a bitter night

adverb

1. very; extremely (esp in the phrase bitter cold )

noun

1. a thing that is bitter

2. beer with a high hop content, with a slightly bitter taste

verb

1. to make or become bitter

Other Word Forms

• bitterness noun
• bitterly adverb
• bitterish adjective
• nonbitter adjective
• overbitter adjective
• overbitterly adverb
• unbitter adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of bitter¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English biter; cognate with German bitter, Old Norse bitr, Gothic baitrs; akin to bite

Word History and Origins

Origin of bitter¹

Old English biter ; related to bītan to _bite

Idioms and Phrases

• take the bitter with the sweet

Example Sentences

“There’s nothing to be gained in bitter partings,” he added.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

USC is returning from its bye week with a bitter taste still in its mouth from a loss to Illinois.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"It was bitter and is still bitter when I'm the only one that can speak the language," the soft-spoken woman said.

Read more on Barron's

Here is that line after I nudged each word’s vector toward the vector for “angry”: “Prompting off angry angered / Angry vegetables fermented, angry bitter flesh prompting enraged sour.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Their bitter resentment of the U.S. shocked me.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• acrimonious 
• biting 
• caustic 
• fierce 
• hateful 
• intense 
• rancorous 
• resentful 
• severe 
• sour 
• stinging www.thesaurus.com
• vitriolic