bitters

[ bit-erz ]

/ ˈbɪt ərz /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bitters ON THESAURUS.COM

noun (used with a plural verb)

a liquid, often an alcoholic liquor, in which bitter herbs or roots have steeped, used as a flavoring, especially in mixed drinks, or as a tonic.

Pharmacology.

a liquid, usually alcoholic, impregnated with a bitter medicine, as gentian or quassia, used to increase the appetite or as a tonic.
bitter medicinal substances in general, as quinine.

Nearby words

Origin of bitters

First recorded in 1705–15; bitter + -s³

bitter

[ bit-er ]

/ ˈbɪt ər /

adjective, bit·ter·er, bit·ter·est.

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.

noun

that which is bitter; bitterness: Learn to take the bitter with the sweet.

British. a very dry ale having a strong taste of hops.

verb (used with object)

to make bitter: herbs employed to bitter vermouth.

adverb

extremely; very; exceedingly: a bitter cold night.

Origin of bitter

before 1000; Middle English, Old English biter; cognate with German bitter, Old Norse bitr, Gothic baitrs; akin to bite

SYNONYMS FOR bitter

1. acrid, biting, distasteful. 3. distressing, poignant, painful. 4. biting, nipping. 5. fierce, cruel, ruthless, relentless. 7. acrimonious, caustic, sardonic, scornful.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bitter ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

bit·ter·ish, adjectivebit·ter·ly, adverbbit·ter·ness, nounnon·bit·ter, adjective

o·ver·bit·ter, adjectiveo·ver·bit·ter·ly, adverbo·ver·bit·ter·ness, nounun·bit·ter, adjective

Can be confusedbidder bitter

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for bitters

He dashes in a few drops of bitters, and then gently crushes the sugar with a muddler.
The Rise and Fall…and Rise Again of the Old-Fashioned|Allison McNearney|June 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Within its 1806 embodiment of the cocktail incarnate—spirit, sweetner, bitters, water—there is traditionalism,” Simonson writes.
The Rise and Fall…and Rise Again of the Old-Fashioned|Allison McNearney|June 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"Almost all of the bitters, whiskeys, or absinthes you see in Buenos Aires are illegal," he says.
The Absinthe-Minded Porteños of Buenos Aires|Jeff Campagna|March 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He makes me a 20's Sazerac with Jack Daniels, Peychaud's Bitters, simple syrup, and local Tigre de la Ira absinthe.
The Secret Speakeasies of Buenos Aires|Jeff Campagna|February 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Top with bitters and liquid smoke and garnish with a flamed lemon zest.
Lights, Camera, Cocktails|Brody Brown|September 2, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Bitters, “medicinal wines” and such liquors have no virtues worth speaking of.
Lights and Shadows of New York Life|James D. McCabe
He rode along the village street, his mind's ear ringing with Byle's parting advice: "Don't forget the bitters."
A Dream of Empire|William Henry Venable
In the good old days its root was an important part of spring bitters.
In Pastures Green|Peter McArthur
The former are simply appetizers, usually of the bitters class, and are taken before meals.
A Midsummer Drive Through The Pyrenees|Edwin Asa Dix
It has recently been highly recommended in dyspepsia, combined with other bitters or aperients.
Cooley's Practical Receipts, Volume II|Arnold Cooley

British Dictionary definitions for bitters

bitters

/ (ˈbɪtəz) /

pl n

bitter-tasting spirits of varying alcoholic content flavoured with plant extracts

a similar liquid containing a bitter-tasting substance, used as a tonic to stimulate the appetite or improve digestion

bitter

/ (ˈbɪtə) /

adjective

having or denoting an unpalatable harsh taste, as the peel of an orange or coffee dregsCompare sour (def. 1)

showing or caused by strong unrelenting hostility or resentmenthe was still bitter about the divorce

difficult or unpleasant to accept or admita bitter blow

cutting; sarcasticbitter words

bitingly colda bitter night

adverb

very; extremely (esp in the phrase bitter cold)

noun

a thing that is bitter

British beer with a high hop content, with a slightly bitter taste

verb

to make or become bitter

Word Origin for bitter

Old English biter; related to bītan to bite

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

Word Origin and History for bitters

bitters

1713, from bitter. So called for its taste.

bitter

adj.

Old English biter "bitter, sharp, cutting; angry, embittered; cruel," from Proto-Germanic *bitras- (cf. Old Saxon bittar, Old Norse bitr, Dutch bitter, Old High German bittar, German bitter, Gothic baitrs "bitter"), from PIE root *bheid- "to split" (cf. Old English bitan "to bite;" see bite (v.)). Evidently the meaning drifted in prehistoric times from "biting, of pungent taste," to "acrid-tasting." Used figuratively in Old English of states of mind and words. Related: Bitterly.

Idioms and Phrases with bitters

bitter

In addition to the idioms beginning with bitter

bitter end
bitter pill to swallow

also see:

take the bitter with the sweet

bitters

noun (used with a plural verb)

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RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of bitters

bitter

adjective, bit·ter·er, bit·ter·est.

noun

verb (used with object)

adverb

Origin of bitter

Examples from the Web for bitters

bitters

pl n

bitter

adjective

adverb

noun

verb

Word Origin for bitter

bitters

bitter

bitter