bitters

[bit-erz]

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.

Origin of bitters

First recorded in 1705–15; bitter + -s³

bitter

[bit-er]

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

Related formsbit·ter·ish, adjectivebit·ter·ly, adverbbit·ter·ness, nounnon·bit·ter, adjectiveo·ver·bit·ter, adjectiveo·ver·bit·ter·ly, adverbo·ver·bit·ter·ness, nounun·bit·ter, adjective

Can be confusedbidder bitter

Synonyms for bitter

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bitter ON THESAURUS.COM

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

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

Related Words for bitters

aroma, aftertaste, annoy, disillusion, aggravate, exasperate, irritate, disaffect, sour, exacerbate, sweet, sting, zing, zip, savor, jolt, bang, bitter, kick, zest

Examples from the Web for bitters

Contemporary Examples of 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
“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
"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
He adds two dashes of Peychaud's bitters, one shot of Los Tigres de la Ira's Suisse verte, some lemon juice, and an egg white.
The Absinthe-Minded Porteños of Buenos Aires
Jeff Campagna
March 10, 2014
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

Historical Examples of bitters

This I promise you: you shall taste all of life's sweets and escape all bitters.
The Memorabilia
Xenophon
His phrase was, 'Your bitters, sir, leave no bad flavor behind them.'
Sir Brook Fossbrooke, Volume II.
Charles James Lever
Chalybeates, bitters, and opium, after sufficient evacuation.
Zoonomia, Vol. II
Erasmus Darwin
Its ingredients were one drop of Bitters and the remainder, poor liquor.
Dangers of the Trail in 1865
Charles E Young
Some said her bitters tasted sweet,And some pronounced her pills delightful.
The Book of Humorous Verse
Various

British Dictionary definitions for bitters

bitters

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

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

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