1
as in angry
having or showing deep-seated resentment
a bitter attitude about always having to work on Saturday she's still bitter about how her family treated her so unfairly
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
discovering that he had been cut from the crew team was a bitter disappointment
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3
as in biting
causing intense discomfort to one's skin
a bitter wind was stinging the faces of the skiers
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4
as in harsh
difficult to endure
a bitter lesson about money and friendship
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5
as in cold
having a low or subnormal temperature
a bitter February day for this part of the country
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6
as in chilly
uncomfortably cool
a bitter, rainy day
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7
as in mournful
expressing or suggesting mourning
a bitter cry of grief
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8
as in unpleasant
not giving pleasure to the mind or senses
had to face the bitter truth about their marriage
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bitter
How could that happen in Germany, a country whose history has taught a bitter lesson about the dangers of right-wing extremism?
—
Amanda Taub, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
In the time that Smith was at Utah, the school’s bitter rival, BYU, also rose to national acclaim in the sport.
—The Athletic College Basketball Staff, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
After a bitter falling out with his former fellow Crips, Moses and the other Pirus — who first called themselves the Piru Street Boys — joined with several other area street crews into what would become known as the Bloods.
—Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2025
This summer saw a bitter dispute between the U.S. and China over allegations surrounding doping by Chinese swimmers before the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and suggestions from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) that WADA had not been strong enough in enforcing its rules.
—Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bitter
Amanda Taub, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
In the time that Smith was at Utah, the school’s bitter rival, BYU, also rose to national acclaim in the sport.
—The Athletic College Basketball Staff, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
After a bitter falling out with his former fellow Crips, Moses and the other Pirus — who first called themselves the Piru Street Boys — joined with several other area street crews into what would become known as the Bloods.
—Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2025
This summer saw a bitter dispute between the U.S. and China over allegations surrounding doping by Chinese swimmers before the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and suggestions from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) that WADA had not been strong enough in enforcing its rules.
—Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bitter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bitter
Adjective
-
One of her twisted arms is lopped off by an angry audience member and turns into a firehose of blood.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN,
27 Feb. 2025
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Trashing a guy’s car is nothing new among angry exes, but one Florida woman took it to an absurd level after having a little too much to drink, according to Florida investigators.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Throughout her childhood, Dee Dee subjected her Gypsy-Rose to years of painful medical procedures that were not needed.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
28 Feb. 2025
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Whether a client hires a single architect to design a house or a team to work on a downtown plan with multiple community stakeholders, the architect-client relationship is rarely one of a painful struggle.—
Matt Shaw,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Now, 72 hours after being purged because they were considered probationary workers, a biting reality has set in for many of them.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
The Mercury News,
19 Feb. 2025
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For example, a trip to Everglades National Park at the peak of summer could overlap with hurricane season or generally have higher biting insect activity and humid heat.—
Korrin Bishop,
Southern Living,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The 79-year-old Oscar winner embraces the challenging role of the Dutton family matriarch alongside co-star Harrison Ford, confronting everything from mountain lions to the harsh realities of frontier life.—
Holly Williams,
CBS News,
28 Feb. 2025
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Her lyric vocal writing contends with harsh reality, but her style is never far from profound rapture.—
Mark Swed,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This will act to push colder air back into portions of the Lower 48 states.—
Doyle Rice,
USA TODAY,
23 Feb. 2025
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In 2016, Phoenix PD’s Cold Case Homicide Unit decided to conduct a full review of what had become the department’s oldest cold case.—
Dawn Sawyer,
CNN,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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During the colder months, that uniform relies on a lightweight jacket to keep me comfortable on chilly LA mornings.—
Rachel Trujillo,
People.com,
25 Feb. 2025
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On West 57th Avenue in Olde Town Arvada, a handful of people with backpacks and belongings gathered in front of the library and soaked in the sun on a recent chilly morning, including one accompanied by a small dog wearing a sporty green jacket.—
John Aguilar,
The Denver Post,
23 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Brown’s sound design mixes Sousa-like military fanfares with mournful underscoring for Lavinia’s tragedy, neither of which has much to do with Kidwell’s preshow music.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Feb. 2025
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Chaos quickly unfolds when the bickering, different-strokes twins find the calamitous heirloom—although Perkins keeps the first act mostly mournful, as the boys struggle with the onslaught of death around them.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This can be an unpleasant odor for humans to encounter, but the critters in the video seem enthusiastic about interacting with the eau de skunk.—
Amanda Kooser,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
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These days however, an all-white or all-gray bathroom can act as an unpleasant symbol of an outdated trend, and may seem seriously lacking in pizazz.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
25 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to bitter
Cite this Entry
“Bitter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bitter. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.
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