bitter end
the conclusion of a difficult or unpleasant situation; the last or furthest extremity: Despite the unpleasant scenes in the movie, she insisted on staying until the bitter end.
Nautical.
the inboard end of an anchor chain or cable, secured in the chain locker of a vessel.
the end of any chain or cable.
Origin of bitter end
1Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use bitter end in a sentence
Take the semifinal for what it was: a battle to the bitter end between two proud football nations.
Argentina Drops the Netherlands on Penalties in World Cup Semifinal | Tunku Varadarajan | July 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAnd the remaining militants appear eager to milk the crisis right to the bitter end.
Custer was played as a cliché of grit and courage, jaw clenched with resolve as he fought to the bitter end.
Larry McMurtry on the Villainous Custer and the Myths of the West | Nick Romeo | November 17, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTI deliberately ignored all the warning voices inside me and enjoyed the time by his side almost until the bitter end.
Literally, to the very, very bitter end, even if it took her five hours to get ready, she would do it.
Harney still lay on the bed, motionless and with fixed eyes, as though following his vision to its bitter end.
Summer | Edith Wharton“Now listen to this, girls,” said Puddy, who was intent on reading her excerpts to the bitter end.
The Gentle Art of Cooking Wives | Elizabeth Strong WorthingtonBut there were ugly people in the world, who began ugly, and went on being ugly to the bitter end.
The Open Question | Elizabeth RobinsBut they are deaf and blind to the things of God; so the awful indictment must proceed to the bitter end.
Expositor's Bible: The Gospel of Matthew | John Monro GibsonFlorence then came out, and we left those two to fight it out to the bitter end.
The Sportswoman's Library, v. 2 | Various
British Dictionary definitions for bitter end
nautical the end of a line, chain, or cable, esp the end secured in the chain locker of a vessel
to the bitter end until the finish of a task, job, or undertaking, however unpleasant or difficult
until final defeat or death
Origin of bitter end
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with bitter end
The last extremity; also, death or ruin. For example, I'm supporting the union's demands to the bitter end, or Even though they fight a lot, I'm sure Mom and Dad will stay together to the bitter end. The source of this term may have been nautical, a bitter being a turn of a cable around posts, or bitts, on a ship's deck, and the bitter end meaning “the part of the cable that stays inboard.” Thus, when a rope is paid out to the bitter end, no more remains. [Mid-1800s]
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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