bitter

adjective bit·ter \ ˈbi-tər \

|Updated on: 24 Jun 2018

1 a : being or inducing the one of the four basic taste sensations that is peculiarly acrid acrid, astringent, or disagreeable and suggestive of an infusion of hops

The pill leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.

a bitter beer

bitter dark chocolate

— compare salt, sour, sweet

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

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bitterish

play \ˈbi-tə-rish\ adjective

—

bitterly

adverb

—

bitterness

noun

See bitter defined for English-language learners

See bitter defined for kids

Examples of bitter in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of bitter from the Web

The block was at the center of a bitter preservation fight about 15 years ago.

— maria l. la ganga, idahostatesman, "A Boise church lost a bitter fight to develop this lot. Now it may build housing there," 13 June 2018
The Taliban has been waging a bitter fight in Afghanistan with the ultimate goal of ruling the country and imposing its strict interpretation of Islamic law.

— masoud popalzai, CNN, "Taliban calls for ceasefire with Afghan forces during Eid," 9 June 2018
Hogan, after a bitter fight, named Peters special secretary for smart growth.

— michael dresser, baltimoresun.com, "Fact check: Democratic debate yields urban myths, stretched statistics, grains of truth," 31 May 2018
But the talks have descended into a bitter fight in a Delaware court as Redstone’s company and CBS management wage war over control of CBS.

— jon chesto, BostonGlobe.com, "In a pinch, this seasoned administrator knows how to entertain, too," 29 May 2018
Their grandfather Peter was the brother of Robert Mondavi, who founded his eponymous winery after the two split in a bitter fight.

— Fortune, "Rare Wines and Camels — Just Some of the Offerings at This Year's Auction Napa Valley," 26 May 2018
Despite running long, the session lacked the drama of the past several years, which were marked by drawn-out special sessions and bitter fights over the budget and taxes.

— becky bohrer, The Seattle Times, "Alaska Legislature passes budgets, ends extended session," 13 May 2018
Notably, the city launched its rule rewrite amid a bitter court fight with developer Paul Petrovich over his desire to build a 16-pump fuel center in his Crocker Village housing and commercial development project.

— tony bizjak, sacbee, "Gas stations and pot businesses not welcome, Sacramento says. Here's where and why | The Sacramento Bee," 13 May 2018
Nickie beats Marty Nickie Antonio and Martin Sweeney, two Democratic state representatives, were locked in a bitter fight to represent Ohio's 23rd Senate District in western Cuyahoga County.

— seth a. richardson & andrew j. tobias, cleveland.com, "Here are the 9 most interesting storylines from this week's Ohio primary election," 11 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bitter.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of bitter

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 ¹bite

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

bitter Synonyms

bitter

noun

1 : bitter (see ¹bitter) quality

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

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

See bitter defined for English-language learners

Examples of bitter in a Sentence

The cocktail recipe called for a dash of bitters.
a good selection of bitters

Recent Examples of bitter from the Web

Both ordered the Bullet Proof, a photogenic play on a whiskey sour featuring rye, St. Germain, turmeric, lemon, chili and bitters with a foamy egg white that Ms. Pistorius had seen on Instagram.

— devorah lev-tov, New York Times, "Dusting Off an Art Deco Feminist Treasure," 16 May 2018
Also on the menu is the #21, a seasonal Pimm's cup with reposado tequila, citrus, and a honey and Chinese five spice syrup, and the #78 with pear, lime, fino sherry, scotch, gin and umami bitters.

— rachel kashdan, ELLE Decor, "The Best Things To Do In St. Louis During The Holidays This Year," 21 Nov. 2016
Pour 1 ounce lime juice, 2 ounces Hayman's Royal Dock Navy Strength gin, 1/2 ounce simple syrup, and a dash orange bitters into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake.

— peter martin, Popular Mechanics, "How Your World Works Podcast: How To Use Acid in a Cocktail," 28 Aug. 2015
Pineapple juice 3 dashes Angostura bitters Pineapple leaf garnish Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.

— kevin hopper, idahostatesman, "Recipes survive gone-but-not-forgotten culture of 1950s," 2 June 2018
The Santiago y Lucia swaps the traditional gin for coconut washed aged rum, and adds spicy Ancho Reyes liqueur and mole bitters to the Campari and sweet vermouth.

— brittany martin, Los Angeles Magazine, "Negroni Week Is Here So You Can Sip Your Favorite Cocktail for a Good Cause," 1 June 2018
The Cold Fashioned comes with Old Forester bourbon, fresh citrus, angostura and orange bitters.

— grace wong, chicagotribune.com, "8 boozy slushies you'll want to drink this summer," 24 May 2018
The libation of the week: A Hurricane Zulu, which is a nouveau tiki drink -- made of two kinds of rum, with falernum, passionfruit, coconut, lime and Angostura bitters -- ordered by Barry while on date night with Tamica at Brennan's.

— mike scott, NOLA.com, "'Southern Charm New Orleans' Episode 6: Red beans and rice, minus the spice," 21 May 2018
At House of Blues Restaurant & Bar The Fine and Mellow, a cocktail featuring Knob Creek Bourbon, St. Elder, lemon juice, strawberry and rhubarb bitters.

— lauren delgado, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Disney Springs forming limited-time bourbon trail," 27 Apr. 2018

Origin and Etymology of bitter

derivative of ¹bitter

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Alcoholic Beverage Terms

finish, gimlet, mull, sake, setup, sommelier, syllabub, vintner, wassail

bitter

verb

bittered; bittering; bitters

transitive verb

: to make bitter (see ¹bitter)

bittered ale

Recent Examples of bitter from the Web

The liqueur puts Indiana persimmons front and center while adding traditional bittering agents like rhubarb root and bitter orange peel, with cardamom and spearmint offering added complexity.

— kenney marlatt, chicagotribune.com, "Chicago spirit-maker Apologue delivers Midwestern flavors to cocktails," 30 May 2018
Another hop, typically grown in the Southern Hemisphere and used largely as a bittering agent, presented big, fruit flavors more like traditional West Coast hops.

— natasha geiling, Smithsonian, "The East Coast May Be On the Brink of a Hop Renaissance," 21 May 2018
Those are made employing the still somewhat suspicious American practice of adding bittering hops to the mix, but there's nothing aggressive or even untoward about them.

— mike sula, Chicago Reader, "Irving Park’s Eris is a space of supermortal dimensions," 22 Mar. 2018
Night Shift built Nite Lite similarly, adding real corn (as opposed to corn syrup or rice syrup) and brewing with a touch of Saaz hops, the classic bittering agent in a Czech pilsner.

— gary dzen, BostonGlobe.com, "Night Shift releasing Nite Lite, taking on the Buds and Millers of the world," 20 Mar. 2018
Two grants for a total of $135,154 went to Pennsylvania State University for projects involving hops, which are the bittering agent in beer.

— harold brubaker, Philly.com, "Pa. awards $705K in PLCB grants to promote state's beer industry," 1 Mar. 2018
Ginger bitters counter the prominent elderflower notes, while the cider gives the glass a silky finish instead of boisterous bubbles.

— rheanna bellomo, Esquire, "5 Aprés-Ski Cocktails to Warm You Up After a Day on the Slopes," 16 Feb. 2018
CO2 Extract Hop Oil Hop-oil extract replaces bittering hop pellets added at the start of the boil.

— matt allyn, Popular Mechanics, "The New Science of Making Ridiculously Hoppy Beer," 18 Jan. 2018
Hops class: Lecture & tasting (7-10 p.m., Monday, Feb. 12): John LaPolla of Bitter & Esters in Brooklyn will join Santa Clara Valley Brewing to lead an interactive exploration of how hops are used for flavoring, bittering and preserving beer.

— sarah fritsche, San Francisco Chronicle, "The events you can't miss at SF Beer Week 2018 (including a Viking-themed Valentine's dinner)," 1 Feb. 2018

Origin and Etymology of bitter

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 12th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Other Alcoholic Beverage Terms

finish, gimlet, mull, sake, setup, sommelier, syllabub, vintner, wassail

bitter

adverb

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

It's bitter cold.

Origin and Etymology of bitter

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

BITTER Defined for English Language Learners

bitter

adjective

: having a strong and often unpleasant flavor that is the opposite of sweet
: causing painful emotions : felt or experienced in a strong and unpleasant way
: angry and unhappy because of unfair treatment

bitter

noun

bit*ters : a bitter alcoholic liquid that is used especially in mixed drinks
: a type of beer that has a slightly bitter flavor

BITTER Defined for Kids

bitter

adjective bit·ter \ ˈbi-tər \

bitterer; bitterest

1 : sharp, biting, and unpleasant to the taste

2 : unhappy and angry because of unfair treatment

She was bitter toward her spoiled sister.

3 : hard to put up with

a bitter disappointment

4 : caused by anger, distress, or sorrow

bitter tears

5 : very harsh or sharp : biting

a bitter wind

—

bitterly

adverb

wept bitterly

—

bitterness

noun

Medical Dictionary

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 2, sour, sweet

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