bitch

1 of 2

noun

ˈbich 

1

: the female of the dog or some other carnivorous mammals

The behavioral endocrinology of both male dogs and bitches is quite unique and differs from that of most other mammals …

—Ian Dunbar

compare dog entry 1 sense 1c

2

a

informal + often offensive : a malicious, spiteful, or overbearing woman

b

informal + offensive

—used as a generalized term of abuse and disparagement for a woman

3

informal : something that is extremely difficult, objectionable, or unpleasant

Aspirin overdoses are a bitch to treat.

—Pamela Grim

July and August were always a bitch in the subway.

—Harold Robbins

4

informal : complaint

"My biggest bitch with all of CBS' golf is there's no personalization."

—Chuck Howard

bitch

2 of 2

verb

bitched; bitching; bitches

intransitive verb

: complain

transitive verb

1

: spoil, botch

bitched up their lives

2

: cheat, double-cross

3

: to complain of or about

Synonyms

Noun

• beef
• bleat
• carp
• complaint
• fuss
• grievance
• gripe
• grouch
• grouse
• grumble
• holler
• kvetch
• lament
• miserere
• moan
• murmur
• plaint
• squawk
• wail
• whimper
• whine
• whinge [British]
• yammer

Verb

• beef
• bellyache
• bleat
• carp
• caterwaul
• complain
• crab
• croak
• fuss
• gripe
• grizzle
• grouch
• grouse
• growl
• grumble
• grump
• holler
• inveigh
• keen
• kick
• kvetch
• maunder [chiefly British]
• moan
• murmur
• mutter
• nag
• repine
• scream
• squawk
• squeal
• wail
• whimper
• whine
• whinge [British]
• yammer
• yawp
• yaup
• yowl

Examples of bitch in a Sentence

Noun

That word is a bitch to spell.

tiresome members of the tour group who had one bitch after another

Verb

He bitched constantly about his old car, but he doesn't like his new one either.

those guys are always bitching about something

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The bitching and leaving early just makes the fan base look entitled and lacking in football common sense. —Art De Roché, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025

Who triumphs over the greatest challenge of his political career and then can’t stop bitching about the cabinet member who just failed to unseat him? —Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024

Rebels fight the redcoats, Ben Franklin bitches about his politically backward son, and America gains its independence. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2024

And this is coming from the guy who always bitches, moans, and complains when players share news of their idols and advantages! —Dalton Ross, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024

Cut back to seventies Louis absolutely bitching about Lestat to Daniel, with all the hateful, obsessive passion of a fresh break-up, even 33 years later. —Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 9 June 2024

Voices, like those of the people bitching about Zelensky, can often be heard. —Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 May 2024

Who could resist 80 minutes of the Fab Four bitching each other out? —Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 18 Apr. 2024

If a shift came as a result of people literally bitching online and complaining about it and talking about it, increase that pressure. —Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English bicche, going back to Old English bicce, perhaps going back to a Germanic noun with varying final consonants and inflectional class, whence Old Norse bikkja "female dog," German (from 15th century) Petze, Betze

Verb

derivative of bitch entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1823, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for bitch

• ditch
• fiche
• glitch
• hitch
• ich
• itch
• kitsch
• lich
• mitch
• niche
• pitch
• snitch

Kids Definition

bitch

noun

ˈbich

: a female dog

Medical Definition

bitch

noun

ˈbich 

: the female of the dog or some other carnivorous mammals