bitter

[ bit-er ]

/ ˈbɪt ər /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR bitter ON THESAURUS.COM

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 SYNONYMS FOR bitter ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM bitter

bit·ter·ish, adjective bit·ter·ly, adverb bit·ter·ness, noun non·bit·ter, adjective

o·ver·bit·ter, adjective o·ver·bit·ter·ly, adverb o·ver·bit·ter·ness, noun un·bit·ter, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bitter

bidder bitter

Words nearby bitter

bitstock, bitstream, bitsy, bitt, bitten, bitter, bitter almond, bitter almond oil, bitter apple, bitter cassava, bitter cress

Example sentences from the Web for bitterness

But while his departure was “inexpressibly painful,” he never succumbed to bitterness.

The Catholic Philosopher Who Took on Hitler |John Henry Crosby |December 26, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Perhaps some of that solitude and bitterness found its way into Alec Leamas.

The Stacks: How The Berlin Wall Inspired John le Carré’s First Masterpiece |John le Carré |November 8, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
A U.S. diplomat once spoke with bitterness of the breadth of his power when negotiating with an uncooperative dictator.

This Is Obama’s U.N. Plan to Choke Off ISIS’s Recruits |Kimberly Dozier |September 22, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
KIEV, Ukraine — The symbol of the Ukrainian revolution, the Maidan Square, is seething with bitterness and aggression these days.

Kiev Set to Clean the Last “Occupy” Protestors Out of Maidan Square |Anna Nemtsova |August 8, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

“Some day, the armies of bitterness will all be going the same way,” he wrote in Grapes.

Is There a Ma Joad for the Piketty Era? |Katie Baker |July 1, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The English merchants and mariners had wrongs of their own, perpetually renewed, which fed the bitterness of their indignation.

English Seamen in the Sixteenth Century |James Anthony Froude
Then he saw that she was crying in the bitterness of vexation, and swung round on his music-stool without getting up.

The Nebuly Coat |John Meade Falkner
Miriam spoke unguardedly, but Evie was too preoccupied to notice the bitterness of the tone.

The Wild Olive |Basil King
There was a dash of bitterness in this, which was a rare ingredient in Mara's conversation.

The Pearl of Orr's Island |Harriet Beecher Stowe
The war was resumed with increase of bitterness in feeling, and of fury in action.

Their Majesties' Servants (Volume 3 of 3) |John Doran

British Dictionary definitions for bitterness

bitter

/ (ˈbɪtə) /

adjective

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

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

difficult or unpleasant to accept or admit a bitter blow

cutting; sarcastic bitter words

bitingly cold a 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

Derived forms of bitter

bitterly, adverb bitterness, noun

Word Origin for bitter

Old English biter; related to bītan to bite

Idioms and Phrases with bitterness

bitter

In addition to the idioms beginning with bitter

bitter end
bitter pill to swallow

also see:

take the bitter with the sweet

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

bitter

adjective, bit·ter·er, bit·ter·est.

noun

verb (used with object)

adverb

Origin of bitter

SYNONYMS FOR bitter

OTHER WORDS FROM bitter

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bitter

Words nearby bitter

Example sentences from the Web for bitterness

British Dictionary definitions for bitterness

adjective

adverb

noun

verb

Derived forms of bitter

Word Origin for bitter

Idioms and Phrases with bitterness

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

bitter

adjective, bit·ter·er, bit·ter·est.

noun

verb (used with object)

adverb

Origin of bitter

SYNONYMS FOR bitter

OTHER WORDS FROM bitter

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bitter

Words nearby bitter

Words related to bitterness

Example sentences from the Web for bitterness

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for bitterness

adjective

adverb

noun

verb

Derived forms of bitter

Word Origin for bitter

Idioms and Phrases with bitterness

British Dictionary definitions for bitterness