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bitter pill to swallow

An unpleasant fact, disappointment, or humiliation that is difficult to endure. For example, Failing the bar exam was a bitter pill to swallow, but he plans to try again next year. [Late 1500s]

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Nearby words

  1. bitter lake,
  2. bitter lakes,
  3. bitter melon,
  4. bitter orange,
  5. bitter pill,
  6. bitter principle,
  7. bitter rot,
  8. bitterbark,
  9. bitterbrush,
  10. bittercress
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.