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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.

See Examples For:

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

Paramount would have a bitter pill to swallow if regulators actually blocked the transaction.

From The Wall Street Journal Mar. 20, 2026

The sale was a bit of a bitter pill for Simmons to swallow, leaving him with just $200,000 in profit after he paid $10.8 million for the combined properties.

From MarketWatch Feb. 27, 2026

But even among poor whites, the collapse of slavery was a bitter pill.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

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