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View synonyms for bitter

bitter

[ bit-er ]

adjective

, bit·ter·er, bit·ter·est.
  1. having a harsh, disagreeably acrid taste, like that of aspirin, quinine, wormwood, or aloes.

    Synonyms: distasteful, unpalatable, acrid

  2. producing one of the four basic taste sensations; not sour, sweet, or salt.
  3. hard to bear; grievous; distressful:

    a bitter sorrow.

    Synonyms: painful, poignant

  4. causing pain; piercing; stinging:

    a bitter chill.

    Synonyms: nipping, biting

  5. characterized by intense antagonism or hostility:

    bitter hatred.

    Synonyms: relentless, ruthless, cruel, fierce

  6. hard to admit or accept:

    a bitter lesson.

  7. resentful or cynical:

    bitter words.

    Synonyms: scornful, sardonic, biting, caustic, acrimonious



noun

  1. that which is bitter; bitterness:

    Learn to take the bitter with the sweet.

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

verb (used with object)

  1. to make bitter:

    herbs employed to bitter vermouth.

adverb

  1. a bitter cold night.

bitter

/ ˈbɪtə /

adjective

  1. having or denoting an unpalatable harsh taste, as the peel of an orange or coffee dregs Compare sour
  2. showing or caused by strong unrelenting hostility or resentment

    he was still bitter about the divorce

  3. difficult or unpleasant to accept or admit

    a bitter blow

  4. cutting; sarcastic

    bitter words

  5. bitingly cold

    a bitter night

“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


adverb

  1. very; extremely (esp in the phrase bitter cold )
“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

noun

  1. a thing that is bitter
  2. beer with a high hop content, with a slightly bitter taste
“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

verb

  1. to make or become bitter
“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
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Derived Forms

  • ˈbitterness, noun
  • ˈbitterly, adverb
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Other Words From

  • bit·ter·ish adjective
  • bit·ter·ly adverb
  • bit·ter·ness noun
  • non·bit·ter adjective
  • o·ver·bit·ter adjective
  • over·bit·ter·ly adverb
  • un·bit·ter adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of bitter1

First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English biter; cognate with German bitter, Old Norse bitr, Gothic baitrs; akin to bite
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Word History and Origins

Origin of bitter1

Old English biter ; related to bītan to bite
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Idioms and Phrases

  • take the bitter with the sweet
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Example Sentences

Changes since that sluggish start have sent the state zooming up the national listings, statistically, but also have caused bitter fighting about which counties and regions should get doses first.

These slightly bitter, slightly sweet spritzes have no alcohol but offer the same satisfying feeling of drinking a balanced cocktail.

From Eater

This film delves into the fascinating world of competitive arcade gaming, following two men engaged in a bitter battle for the title of Donkey Kong record holder.

I’ve used them on bitter powder days, when friends had to head inside to warm up, and they live in my backcountry ski pack in case something goes wrong.

Then there’s Ghia, a Mediterranean-style aperitif that builds on a base of riesling grape juice with heady botanicals like bitter gentian root and bright yuzu.

Weeks retained an unparalleled legal team, which included bitter political rivals Hamilton and Burr.

For Randy, a 50-year-old ex-Mormon gay man, this cure was a particularly bitter pill to swallow.

This is a time for many bitter tears and, one can only hope, a better future.

There was a collective gasp at both the four-letter word and the bitter sentiment it carried.

By halftime a crowd of what appeared to be a few hundred people had amassed in the bitter cold.

As Felipe talked with him, he perceived even more clearly how bitter and unjust his mother had been to Alessandro.

O death, how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that hath peace in his possessions!

She suddenly sank back upon the pillow and gave up to bitter anguish, when she recalled what had followed.

Gordon gave a bitter laugh and went on, with the same strange, serious air of explaining his plan.

If he had only been himself I should have had nothing more to desire, but he was in one of his bitter, sarcastic moods.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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