bitterness

American  

[bit-er-nis] / ˈbɪt ər nɪs /

noun

1. 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.

2. a feeling of pain or distress.

   The bitter herbs at a Passover Seder are meant to remind us of the bitterness of slavery.

3. 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.

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Other Word Forms

• overbitterness
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of bitterness

bitter ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bitterness

The cocoa in the Trader Joe’s version has a bitterness that delivers a more balanced bite by cutting straight through the salt and sweet.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

That bitterness from supporters is aimed in part at the House of Lords.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

Its first half is filled with the optimistic insistence that dancing and love will save us all, while the second finds Madonna wrestling with bitterness and regret.

From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026

Mexican Americans have long risen up to defend ourselves and defy our haters, but there’s usually an underlying strain of bitterness and anger that kneecaps us at the worst possible moments.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026

The old bitterness came up in him and he did not have time to cogitate and push it down.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

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Related Words

• anguish
• hostility
• pain
• sarcasm

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