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.
That bitterness from supporters is aimed in part at the House of Lords.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
In a brutally self-aware confession, Yasmina observes, “I carry bitterness for humanity, for relationships and for myself.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 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
Repeatedly, Marina is told she looks just like her mom, but the comment occasionally contains a trace of bitterness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
He felt the tingling in his hands, the lightness in his head, the heaviness of his heart, and it consumed him, filled him to the brim with a bitterness and voracity that burned his throat.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
