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

• angry
• sore
• cynical
• embittered
• resentful
• acrimonious
• acrid
• rancorous
• mad
• sarcastic

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

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

Noun

The earthy flavor of the matcha is paired with almond bitters, lime for tartness and pineapple juice for a tropical note. —Aly Walansky, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025

In the Staten Island section, the Alice Austen (Rey Campero mezcal, orange, pineapple, lime, tiki bitters with toasted coconut) honors the turn-of-the-century documentary photographer whose name graces the Staten Island Ferry and whose home is now a public museum. —Paul Rubio, AFAR Media, 23 June 2025

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

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

Rhymes for bitter

• critter
• fitter
• fritter
• glitter
• hitter
• jitter
• knitter
• litter
• quitter
• ritter
• splitter
• titter

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