bitter

adjective bit·ter \ ˈbi-tər \

Updated on: 16 Apr 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

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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 bitter enemies who fought in the Ultimate Deletion a few weeks ago formed a unique and wonderful tag team this past week at WrestleMania and won a match on Raw the next night.

— gene guillot, NOLA.com, "The best 34 parts of an awesome WrestleMania week," 12 Apr. 2018
But the protests have been at least partly co-opted and, some report, wholly organized now by Hamas, which has been engaged in bitter infighting with the Fatah faction that governs in the West Bank.

— dina kraft, The Christian Science Monitor, "As civilian toll climbs in Gaza, focus on Hamas dampens compassion in Israel," 12 Apr. 2018
This weather is spawned from a clash of air masses, as warm and humid air begins to creep north from the Gulf of Mexico while bitter shots of cold air continue to drop in from Canada.

— taylor ward, monica garrett and brandon miller, CNN, "Tornadoes, blizzard and historic wildfire conditions: This weekend's triple threat," 12 Apr. 2018
Duna applies both of these tactics to nearly every ingredient in its kola, lacquering layers of gently bitter brownness to a deep mahogany.

— ali bouzari, San Francisco Chronicle, "Housemade: The silent science behind three signature dishes at Duna," 12 Apr. 2018
It's not been an easy week for Pep Guardiola, and Tuesday night was the bitter cherry on top.

— SI.com, "Pep Guardiola Faces Potential 3 Game UCL Ban Following Half Time Outburst in Liverpool Defeat," 11 Apr. 2018
Despite their bitter exchanges over the years, Fox isn’t against giving the entertainer another chance.

— stephanie petit, PEOPLE.com, "50 Cent Claps Back as Vivica A. Fox Says Relationship with the Rapper 'Haunted' Her," 11 Apr. 2018
Salad: Start with a base of bitter greens such as endive, arugula or dandelion greens.

— susan russo, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Supporting role suits celery," 10 Apr. 2018
Lawmakers also passed a bill to diversify Maryland’s medical marijuana industry — one year after a similar effort failed in a bitter last-minute defeat.

— Washington Post, "Maryland lawmakers act on school safety and crime ahead of session’s end," 10 Apr. 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

Strain into a chilled coupe, and decorate with a few drops of bitters.

— lisa futterman, chicagotribune.com, "You love the magic of aquafaba, but did you know it makes luxuriously creamy cocktails?," 11 Apr. 2018
Three years ago, Barrels and Bottles Brewery in Golden, Colo. offered an extra special bitter that was brewed with Peeps, though the number of marshmallow treats used in that offering was a fair bit lower.

— chris morris, Fortune, "Toast This Easter With Peeps-Flavored Beer," 30 Mar. 2018
The Commis old-fashioned ($13) is a blend of Cognac, bergamot, Angostura and a hint of maple that balances the bitters.

— michael bauer, San Francisco Chronicle, "Commis is only one jewel in James Syhabout’s crown," 5 Mar. 2018
Splash it with three dashes of bitters and muddle together.

— sam dangremond, Town & Country, "What's the Difference Between an Old Fashioned and a Manhattan Cocktail?," 21 Aug. 2017
Jason and Jim Ebel, founders of Two Brothers, are now offering vodka, citrus vodka, gin, coffee liqueur and amaro — an Italian bitter made from vodka and roots and spices — that are aged in used beer barrels.

— david sharos, Aurora Beacon-News, "Longtime craft beer company Two Brothers is now in the liquor game," 16 Mar. 2018
New on Kris and Tom Kwiatkowski’s bar list is the Rosé Perez, a smooth drink made of gin, rosé liqueur, egg white, lemon, bitters, and rosé float.

— michael klein, Philly.com, "Let's Eat: Where to eat near the Flower Show," 28 Feb. 2018
The only misfire was the Surprise Horizon: a base of Peychaud's bitters with coconut milk, falernum, and lime that looks exactly like Pepto Bismol and tastes like an emo piña colada.

— julia thiel, Chicago Reader, "Food & Drink / Food Chain The Moonlighter fills Logan Square's burger and sports bar gap—and it's surprisingly pleasant," 22 Feb. 2018
Zippy lemon comes through first, followed by the bite of maple bitters and a barely-there banana finish.

— rheanna bellomo, Esquire, "5 Aprés-Ski Cocktails to Warm You Up After a Day on the Slopes," 16 Feb. 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

transitive verb

: to make bitter (see ¹bitter)

bittered ale

Recent Examples of bitter from the Web

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
Bitters are a simple combination of high-proof, neutral grain alcohol infused with bittering roots or herbs, and can be pepped up with aromatic and flavored plants or spices.

— meghan nesmith, Bon Appetit, "Want a Better Cocktail? Find a Botanist," 16 May 2017
Though all of these new drinks share a yin-yang bittersweet personality, flavors can vary surprisingly, depending on alcohol levels, the array of botanicals in the mix and the power of the bittering agents.

— robert simonson, New York Times, "Red, Wet and Bitter … but Not Campari or Aperol," 30 June 2017

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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