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Synonyms

bitter pill

American  

noun

  1. a distressing experience or result that is hard to accept (often in the expressiona bitter pill to swallow ).

    Being passed over for promotion was a bitter pill to swallow.

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.

Leonard played 65 games and averaged a career-best 27.9 points, however Wednesday’s loss was a bitter pill to swallow.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

These demands would be a bitter pill for Washington and its Gulf Arab allies to swallow.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

The Japanese considered the emperor to be divine, and a surrender was to admit his fallibility—a very bitter pill to swallow.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

Defeat was another bitter pill for Zverev, who is still searching for a first Slam crown aged 28 after being a three-time finalist, including last year in Australia when Jannik Sinner beat him.

From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026

It was a bitter pill for me to swallow, too.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

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.