bitter end

1 of 2

noun (1)

: the last extremity however painful or calamitous

bitter-ender

ˌbi-tər-ˈen-dər 

noun

bitter end

2 of 2

noun (2)

: the inboard end of a ship's anchoring cable

Examples of bitter end in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Very few of the people who were close to him at the start of his time in office were still there at the bitter end. —Kelsey Piper, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018

Tamora: Tamora appears in Titus Andronicus and meets a bitter end. —Kara Nesvig, Parents, 14 Oct. 2024

But the chances of the conviction being overturned are slim, and the decision to fight the charges against him to the bitter end—in contrast to Ellison and the other coconspirators—may continue to prove an unfruitful one. —Joel Khalili, WIRED, 24 Sep. 2024

Thanks for tuning in and for staying to the bitter end. —Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

perhaps from bitter end entry 2

Noun (2)

bitter (a turn of cable around the bitts)

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1827, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

circa 1862, in the meaning defined above