1
as in hostility
a deep-seated ill will
he still harbored an implacable bitterness against the company that had fired him
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bite
a harsh or sharp quality
the bitterness of the coffee suggested that it had been reheated
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in chill
an uncomfortable degree of coolness
there's a bitterness in the air, so let's build a fire in the fireplace
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in severity
biting sharpness of feeling or expression
complained with great bitterness about the ill treatment he had always received
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bitterness
Noun
-
Over the nearly 20 months since the hostilities began, Colin Clarke said there has been a radicalization effect in the U.S., particularly of the political left.—
Odette Yousef,
NPR,
28 May 2025 -
Opposition to the war became hostility toward our own military.—
Arthur I. Cyr,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2025
Noun
-
The young girl took a bite of the guacamole and flashed a thumbs up.—
Raven Brunner,
People.com,
26 May 2025
-
While there is a timeline for all the moving parts of the day from guest arrivals to late-night bites at the after-party, planners need to be ready for anything.—
Shelby Wax,
Vogue,
25 May 2025
Noun
-
Once doctors reviewed the family’s travel history, treatment was quickly shifted to address concerns of histoplasmosis, which the CDC explains can cause cause flu-like symptoms including fever and chills, malaise, cough, headache, chest pain and body aches.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
People.com,
23 May 2025
-
The game seems to synthesize every kind of cycling out there: chill peddling about the countryside; furious racing; and even downhill mountain action.—
Lewis Gordon,
Vulture,
23 May 2025
Noun
-
Vaccinations remain the best way to prevent coronavirus infection and lower the risk of subsequent long COVID by reducing the severity of the initial infection and immune response.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 May 2025
-
The difference between a tropical storm and a hurricane comes down to wind speed, the most important factor in determining the severity of a storm and its classification.—
Ann Abel,
AFAR Media,
26 May 2025
Noun
-
The fear this instills in I-Jing — already ignored by her busy mother, nor attended to by her mercurial older sister, I-Ann, who holds a grudge against her mother and rebels by working at a shady betel nut stand — sets off a secrets-unearthing chain of events.—
Ritesh Mehta,
IndieWire,
14 May 2025
-
Was Disney actually complicit in Ryan using shareholder revenues to further a personal grudge?—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
9 May 2025
Noun
-
Special teams ace/edge rusher DeAngelo Malone also would be a difficult cut.—
Josh Kendall,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
-
In the second round of the playoffs, against the defending champion, the Boston Celtics, the script was flipped: the Knicks got down by huge margins in the first two games but came storming back for the victory in both, creating a 2–0 edge.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
22 May 2025
Noun
-
Down encourages readers to use their righteous anger toward rebuilding a fractured world.—
Shannon Carlin,
Time,
22 May 2025
-
Told in the first person, the story explores a lot of the feelings that Helen experiences: frustration and anger and love for her friend.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
21 May 2025
Noun
-
No more tolerance of hatred, no more mercy for criminals.—
Sarah Beth Hensley,
ABC News,
28 May 2025
-
Antisemitism, hatred and terrorism must be stopped, lest our civilization fall into the abyss.—
Diane Gensler,
Baltimore Sun,
26 May 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Bitterness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bitterness. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share