bitter
having a harsh, disagreeably acrid taste, like that of aspirin, quinine, wormwood, or aloes.
producing one of the four basic taste sensations; not sour, sweet, or salt.
hard to bear; grievous; distressful: a bitter sorrow.
causing pain; piercing; stinging: a bitter chill.
characterized by intense antagonism or hostility: bitter hatred.
hard to admit or accept: a bitter lesson.
resentful or cynical: bitter words.
that which is bitter; bitterness: Learn to take the bitter with the sweet.
British. a very dry ale having a strong taste of hops.
to make bitter: herbs employed to bitter vermouth.
extremely; very; exceedingly: a bitter cold night.
Origin of bitter
1Other words for bitter
1 | acrid, unpalatable, distasteful |
3 | distressing, poignant, painful |
4 | biting, nipping |
5 | fierce, cruel, ruthless, relentless |
7 | acrimonious, caustic, biting, sardonic, scornful |
Other words from bitter
- bit·ter·ish, adjective
- bit·ter·ly, adverb
- bit·ter·ness, noun
- non·bit·ter, adjective
- o·ver·bit·ter, adjective
- over·bit·ter·ly, adverb
- un·bit·ter, adjective
Words that may be confused with bitter
- bidder, bitter
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use bitter in a sentence
Navel and Valencia oranges are similarly sweet, though navels are slightly more bitter with thicker peels and are favored for eating, while Valencias are favored for juicing.
Harness the bright sweetness of oranges in these 7 recipes | Kari Sonde | November 9, 2020 | Washington PostThe pandemic has already provided a bitter first look at what that could mean.
Inside Singapore’s huge bet on vertical farming | Katie McLean | October 13, 2020 | MIT Technology ReviewOfficially part of Azerbaijan on the map, Nagorno-Karabakh is de facto controlled by Armenian forces, following a bitter war in the 1990s.
The Mobster Who Brought Armenia and Azerbaijan Together … in Death | Fiona Zublin | October 9, 2020 | OzyMel Gibson plays a bitter, hard-drinking Chris Cringle in the forthcoming film Fatman.
All we want for Christmas is Mel Gibson’s Bad Santa in the Fatman trailer | Jennifer Ouellette | October 8, 2020 | Ars TechnicaHealth care was the subject of one of the night’s first and most bitter exchanges—a signal that the subject is back on the candidates’ agenda.
What the health care industry needs from the 2020 election | Erika Fry | September 30, 2020 | Fortune
British Dictionary definitions for bitter
/ (ˈbɪtə) /
having or denoting an unpalatable harsh taste, as the peel of an orange or coffee dregs: Compare sour (def. 1)
showing or caused by strong unrelenting hostility or resentment: he was still bitter about the divorce
difficult or unpleasant to accept or admit: a bitter blow
cutting; sarcastic: bitter words
bitingly cold: a bitter night
very; extremely (esp in the phrase bitter cold)
a thing that is bitter
British beer with a high hop content, with a slightly bitter taste
to make or become bitter
Origin of bitter
1- See also bitters
Derived forms of bitter
- bitterly, adverb
- bitterness, noun
Collins 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
In addition to the idioms beginning with bitter
- bitter end
- bitter pill to swallow
also see:
- take the bitter with the sweet
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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