bitter

adjective bit·ter \ ˈbi-tər \

|Updated on: 5 Aug 2018

Definition of bitter

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

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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

Washington is no stranger to bitter and divisive judicial confirmation fights, but the coming battle over Judge Kavanaugh is likely to be intense — and expensive.

— New York Times, "Senate Democrats Come Out Swinging in Long-Shot Fight to Block Kavanaugh," 10 July 2018
The concept of umami as the savory member of the five basic tastes — along with sweet, sour, bitter and salty — has gained a lot of attention in recent years.

— chris ross, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Blender gazpacho has umami flavors," 9 July 2018
Democrats are living through this right now in their Nevada gubernatorial race where a particularly bitter and personal primary fight puts nominee Steve Sisolak at an unnecessary disadvantage in his match up with state Attorney General Adam Laxalt.

— chris stirewalt, Fox News, "Power Rankings: Not so peachy primaries," 9 July 2018
Hayden came on like a freight train, bitter and at length.

— johnforristerross, Longreads, "Taming the Great American Desert," 2 July 2018
Some of our Nation’s most bitter and heated confirmation fights have come in Presidential election years.

— glenn kessler, Washington Post, "For the record: Supreme Court nominees considered in ‘election years’," 27 June 2018
The Enquirer A month after losing a bitter primary, Ohio Lt.

— carl weiser, Cincinnati.com, "Ohio Governor's race: After bitter Republican primary, Mary Taylor now says she'll vote for Mike DeWine after all," 22 June 2018
Pepper, who unsuccessfully ran against Republican gubernatorial nominee Mike DeWine for attorney general in 2014, said DeWine was battered heading into the general election after a bitter primary with Lt.

— seth a. richardson, cleveland.com, "Richard Cordray wins the Ohio Democratic governor's primary," 8 May 2018
Coming off a bitter March Primary in Liberty County probably didn’t help interest voters in participation either, but regardless, there were candidates who did step up to the plate to throw their hat in the ring and seek election.

— david taylor, Houston Chronicle, "Low voter turnout for Uniform elections," 6 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

Definition of bitter

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

Cocktails have adventurous herb and floral notes like the crystalline hit of cardamom in the Beauty Mark, with lime, gin and egg white foam with a dot of cacao bitters.

— sarah fritsche, SFChronicle.com, "Best new restaurants and bars to visit in the Mission right now," 17 June 2018
Drip 3 dashes of peach bitters onto it and add the peach wedges and 2 of the thyme sprigs.

— San Antonio Express-News, "Recipe: Orchard Old-Fashioned," 30 May 2018
Herman’s also invites customers to take their espresso tonic up a notch through the use of bitters, with options like Aztec chocolate, black walnut, and smoked chili.

— grace dickinson, Philly.com, "Coffee and tonic: The fizzy iced drink for cooling down this summer," 24 May 2018
Bittercube, the bitters-making company and cocktail consultant, will move from the south side to the west side of Milwaukee to increase its production space and open a bar and a store.

— carol deptolla, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Bittercube, moving to the west side, will gain a bar, store and bigger production area," 27 June 2018
There are 11 signature cocktails including: Old Southern: Añejo tequila, smoked agave, bitters.

— kellie hwang, azcentral, "New in Tempe: Rafter Room lounge opens on second floor of Social Hall," 22 June 2018
Cocktail: Mayan Mule; Avion Anejo Tequila, lime juice, bitters, agave nectar, ginger beer and hint of Grand Marnier.

— michele parente, sandiegouniontribune.com, "It's taco-mania at Sycuan in May," 3 May 2018
In a mixing glass filled with ice, combine the gin, Chartreuse and bitters, and stir until chilled, about 30 seconds.

— robert simonson, Anchorage Daily News, "A cousin of the martini, the Alaska, strikes gold," 19 Apr. 2018
There's a cocktail on the menu that riffs on that dubious duo: a syrupy, too-flat, but more complex concoction called the Wrath of Kalimotxo, featuring amari, Atxa vermouth, and Angostura bitters all standing in for the soft drink.

— mike sula, Chicago Reader, "Bar Biscay is a trippy vision of a land far away," 5 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

Definition of bitter

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

Definition of bitter

: 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

Definition of bitter for English Language Learners

: 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

Definition of bitter for English Language Learners

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 \

Definition of bitter for Students

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

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bitterly

adverb

wept bitterly

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bitterness

noun

Medical Dictionary

bitter

adjective bit·ter \ ˈbit-ər \

medical Definition of bitter

: 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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