bitter

1 of 4

adjective

bit·​ter ˈbi-tər 

1

a

: being, inducing, or marked by the one of the five basic taste sensations that is peculiarly acrid, astringent, and often disagreeable and characteristic of citrus peels, unsweetened cocoa, black coffee, mature leafy greens (such as kale or mustard), or ale

The pill left a bitter taste in my mouth.

bitter beer

bitter chocolates

compare salty entry 1 sense 1b, sour entry 1 sense 1, sweet entry 1, umami entry 2 sense 1

b

: distasteful or distressing to the mind : galling

a bitter sense of shame

2

: marked by intensity or severity:

a

: accompanied by severe pain or suffering

a bitter death

b

: being relentlessly determined : vehement

a bitter partisan

c

: exhibiting intense animosity

bitter enemies

d(1)

: harshly reproachful

bitter complaints

(2)

: marked by cynicism and rancor

bitter contempt

was still bitter about not being chosen

e

: intensely unpleasant especially in coldness or rawness

a bitter wind

3

: caused by or expressive of severe pain, grief, or regret

bitter tears

bitterish

ˈbi-tə-rish 

adjective

bitterly adverb

bitterness noun

bitter

2 of 4

noun

1

a

: bitter quality

… stepping outside your comfort zone and taking the bitter with the sweet.

—James Poniewoziks

b

: the taste sensation that is peculiarly acrid, astringent, and often disagreeable and is characteristic of citrus peels, unsweetened cocoa, black coffee, mature leafy greens (such as kale or mustard), or ale compare salty entry 2, sour entry 2 sense 1b, sweet entry 3 sense 2, umami entry 1

2

a

bitters ˈbi-tərz  plural : a usually alcoholic solution of bitter and often aromatic plant products used especially in preparing mixed drinks or as a mild tonic (see tonic entry 1 sense 1b)

b

British : a very dry (see dry entry 1 sense 7b) heavily hopped ale

bitter

3 of 4

verb

bittered; bittering; bitters

transitive verb

: to make bitter (see bitter entry 1)

bittered ale

bitter

4 of 4

adverb

: to an intense or severe degree : to a bitter (see bitter entry 1) degree

It's bitter cold.

Synonyms

Adjective

• acrid
• acrimonious
• embittered
• hard
• rancorous
• resentful
• sore

Examples of bitter in a Sentence

Adjective

Cocoa beans have a bitter flavor.

The medicine had a bitter aftertaste.

We were struck by the bitter irony of the situation.

His betrayal had made her bitter.

She was still bitter toward her ex-husband.

He's the bitterest man I know.

Noun

The cocktail recipe called for a dash of bitters.

a good selection of bitters

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The intrigue: All eyes are on the Texans' offensive line, which faced criticism after allowing three rushing plays of 10 yards or more and 4 sacks in last week's bitter 24-22 loss to the Green Bay Packers. —Jay R. Jordan, Axios, 25 Oct. 2024

After a bitter campaign, a bare 51% majority of machinists in January 2014 approved a contract extension that made union members hired after that ineligible for pensions and froze increases for existing employees starting in October 2016. —David Koenig, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2024

Noun

Nightmare Fuel: Tequila, mango liqueur, matcha, lime and Thai spice bitters come together for a refreshing sipper served in a creepy sea creature mug. —Jessica Boehm, Axios, 21 Oct. 2024

Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge, Milwaukee's oldest cocktail lounge, has been serving a brandy old-fashioned in the same way for the majority of its 86-year history, with Korbel brandy, simple syrup, Angostura bitters, and your choice of soda. —Samantha Leal, Bon Appétit, 10 Oct. 2024

Verb

Most Beach Club beers, like Mango Colada with coconut and lime, have minimal amounts of bittering hops. —Eric Velasco, al, 23 Apr. 2020

This grape is extremely approachable, with lots of fruit flavor and balanced dryness, due to the low tannins, which are the drying or bittering agent in many wines. —Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati.com, 7 Nov. 2019

Adverb

To see whether an individual’s diet affects the composition of its saliva, researchers gathered saliva from rats habituated to a diet including bitter-tasting quinine. —Chris Gorski, Discover Magazine, 28 Jan. 2023

This mutation might even be an evolutionary remnant of a once-crucial survival mechanism to avoid bitter-tasting toxic plants and animals. —Kareem Clark, Discover Magazine, 1 Nov. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, going back to Old English biter, going back to Germanic *bitra- (whence Old Saxon & Old High German bittar "acrid-tasting," Old Norse bitr "biting, sharp") and *baitra- (whence Gothic baitrs "sharp-tasting"), derivatives from the base of *bītan- "to bite" — more at bite entry 1

Noun

derivative of bitter entry 1

Verb

Middle English bittrin, going back to Old English biterian, derivative of biter bitter entry 1

Adverb

Middle English bitter, bittere, going back to Old English bitere, derivative of biter bitter entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

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

Noun

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

Verb

12th century, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing bitter

• bitter almond
• bitter cress
• bitter end
• bitter orange
• to/until the bitter end

Kids Definition

bitter

adjective

bit·​ter

ˈbit-ər

1

: having or being a disagreeable sharp taste that is one of the four basic taste sensations

bitter coffee

compare salt entry 3 sense 1b, sour entry 1 sense 1, sweet entry 1 sense 1b

2

: hard to accept or bear : painful

bitter disappointment

3

: sharp and resentful

a bitter reply

4

: unpleasantly cold

a bitter wind

bitterly adverb

bitterness noun

Medical Definition

bitter

adjective

bit·​ter ˈbit-ər 

: being or inducing the one of the four basic taste sensations that is peculiarly acrid, astringent, or disagreeable and suggestive of an infusion of hops compare salt entry 2 sense 2, sour entry 1, sweet entry 1

bitterness noun