bitterness
Americannoun
-
a harsh, acrid taste that is one of the four basic taste sensations; a taste that is not sour, sweet, or salty.
The beer’s initial flavor profile is a faint bitterness, with a lingering, slightly cloying sweetness.
-
a feeling of pain or distress.
The bitter herbs at a Passover Seder are meant to remind us of the bitterness of slavery.
-
a feeling of antagonism, hostility, or resentfulness.
There was no shortage of people expressing frustration and bitterness about the slow pace of the relief efforts.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bitterness
Vocabulary lists containing bitterness
"America"
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ness
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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.
But both he and Balda know how much medicine the audience can handle in their fluff before the bitterness overwhelms the sweet.
From Salon • May 17, 2026
Such a cloying tone from the queen of bitterness!
From Slate • May 6, 2026
The couple's bitterness towards their younger counterparts is "rooted in envy", Mulligan says.
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026
The rest of the band joins in as Ayewa calls for the listener to look up to a world above war, bitterness, and division.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026
It would do nothing but add to the already existing bitterness.
From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok
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.
