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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in biting
causing intense discomfort to one's skin
a bitter wind was stinging the faces of the skiers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in harsh
difficult to endure
a bitter lesson about money and friendship
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in cold
having a low or subnormal temperature
a bitter February day for this part of the country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in chilly
uncomfortably cool
a bitter, rainy day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in mournful
expressing or suggesting mourning
a bitter cry of grief
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in unpleasant
not giving pleasure to the mind or senses
had to face the bitter truth about their marriage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of bitter
Mallard's great-great grandmother always taught him not to be bitter about the way that white people treated their family and community.
—
Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 3 July 2025
Undercut by a bitter rival, only because your owner seemingly soured on paying the luxury tax and didn’t offer enough money?
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 2 July 2025
Pashinyan was the focus of protests last year by tens of thousands of demonstrators after Armenia agreed to hand over control of several border villages to Azerbaijan and to normalize relations between the neighbors and bitter rivals.
—Avet Demourian, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025
But the two mainstays of the game are far from bitter rivals.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bitter
Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 3 July 2025
Undercut by a bitter rival, only because your owner seemingly soured on paying the luxury tax and didn’t offer enough money?
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 2 July 2025
Pashinyan was the focus of protests last year by tens of thousands of demonstrators after Armenia agreed to hand over control of several border villages to Azerbaijan and to normalize relations between the neighbors and bitter rivals.
—Avet Demourian, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025
But the two mainstays of the game are far from bitter rivals.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bitter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bitter
Adjective
-
Most of the time, Superman is depressed or angry or getting beat to a pulp or having cans thrown at him or getting arrested.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
-
Others were frustrated—some even outright angry—that the Commission fell short of declaring all forms of obesity a disease and instead recommended a more nuanced clinical diagnosis.—
Francesco Rubino,
Time,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
On the Blue Devils’ flight home from San Antonio, there Scheyer was: digesting the game tape, reliving the most painful defeat he’s suffered in three seasons coaching his alma mater.—
Brendan Marks,
New York Times,
9 July 2025
-
Deciding where to manufacture your product is one of the most painful questions today.—
Alex Gudilko,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
Attendees in The Hague have framed the defense spending pledge and snappy communique as a response to the threat of Russia, not just the biting condemnation of the U.S. president.—
Ellie Cook — reporting from The Hague,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
-
As always, Danan’s voice is hysterically funny, her characters’ exhibiting a wry and biting sense of humor.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
19 May 2025
Adjective
-
The mask fully blocks out the harsh cabin lighting and that inevitable sunrise glow before landing.—
Samantha Leal,
Travel + Leisure,
10 July 2025
-
Before Getting Started When cleaning your oven, try to avoid using harsh oven cleaners or using the self-cleaning feature.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
Strategic commenting can lead to five-figure contracts without cold pitching.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
-
Yeti’s game-changing double-wall vacuum insulation keeps cold drinks cold and hot drinks hot for hours.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
1 July 2025
Adjective
-
That’s still chilly, but remember the greenhouse effect: there is a lot of frozen methane and carbon dioxide on Pluto, so these ices can vaporize and possibly provide enough thermal retention to make the tiny world at least somewhat comfortable, if not exactly habitable.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
3 July 2025
-
The rooftop bar features large couches placed near a grand fireplace for all the chilly nights to come.—
Kaycee Sloan,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
Adjective
-
Once abundant on the island, this ground-foraging dove – with an earthy red-brown plumage and a quiet, mournful call – disappeared from the wild by 1972.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
-
Several of her patients left mournful messages on the Yelp page of her Arcadia practice.—
Clara Harter
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
4 July 2025
Adjective
-
But many of the Blues’ outings have been unpleasant because of high temperatures and storms, and six games across the tournament have been paused for poor weather conditions, angering manager Enzo Maresca.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
8 July 2025
-
My other wildlife standoff involved a much cuter animal, but potentially far more unpleasant.—
Ernie Cowan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bitter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bitter. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share