bitterness

[bit-er-nis]

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.

Other Word Forms

• overbitterness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of bitterness¹

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

Example Sentences

Thanks to a key bit of bitterness from fresh olive oil—another Pugliese specialty—and the still-pungent greens, the combination with the rather meaty pasta shape was both subtle and hearty.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

There is still much bitterness amongst many Palestinians who blame Britain and the 1917 Balfour Declaration for what has happened to them since.

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“Cider makers are trying to find the flavor profile of bitterness, of tannins,” Kaiser said.

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Investigators allege the song included themes of “despair and bitterness… Google records indicate that he had listened to the same song nine times in the previous four days.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Smoking a cigarette in a shaded doorway not far from the church, a 33-year-old civil servant, who gave her name as Aurélie, spoke with undisguised bitterness.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• anguish 
• hostility 
• pain 
• sarcasm