as in sorrowfully
with feelings of bitterness or grief
cried bitterly after her grandmother died
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Recent Examples of bitterly
Tesla , whose founder and CEO Elon Musk complained bitterly about the impact, has seen his stock soar nearly 35% in that period.
—
Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 1 Apr. 2026
Generational and ideological battle lines were drawn; perhaps most bitterly, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and aligned super political action committees spent $7 million in this district alone.
—David Daley, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
But Republican supermajorities in the House and Senate find themselves at a familiar impasse, bitterly divided over which approach to take.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2026
The Catholic king, James II, was bitterly opposed by the Protestant aristocrats, who feared Catholic domination and French influence.
—David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
The approval comes as the parties are fighting bitterly over the policies of the Department of Homeland Security, leading to a funding lapse that is now in its 34th day.
—Arkansas Online, 20 Mar. 2026
Known for its blazing hot summers and bitterly cold winters, the region is a harsh place.
—David Harris, SPIN, 18 Mar. 2026
Segel makes Dan a bitterly perceptive geek, out of his depth but eager to prove himself, while Weaving invests Lisa with a snappishness that only camouflages her pain.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
Aside from the merits of the bills, Republicans and Democrats argued bitterly last week over the length of public hearings.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2026
Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 1 Apr. 2026
Generational and ideological battle lines were drawn; perhaps most bitterly, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and aligned super political action committees spent $7 million in this district alone.
—David Daley, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
But Republican supermajorities in the House and Senate find themselves at a familiar impasse, bitterly divided over which approach to take.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2026
The Catholic king, James II, was bitterly opposed by the Protestant aristocrats, who feared Catholic domination and French influence.
—David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
The approval comes as the parties are fighting bitterly over the policies of the Department of Homeland Security, leading to a funding lapse that is now in its 34th day.
—Arkansas Online, 20 Mar. 2026
Known for its blazing hot summers and bitterly cold winters, the region is a harsh place.
—David Harris, SPIN, 18 Mar. 2026
Segel makes Dan a bitterly perceptive geek, out of his depth but eager to prove himself, while Weaving invests Lisa with a snappishness that only camouflages her pain.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
Aside from the merits of the bills, Republicans and Democrats argued bitterly last week over the length of public hearings.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bitterly
Adverb
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Tarun would tease her, and my mother would look sorrowfully toward Kavitha, as if the two of them now shared some womanly burden.—
Madhuri Vijay,
New Yorker,
16 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Raffles London at The OWO’s interiors impresario Thierry Despont sadly died this summer, before the final unveiling of his oeuvre.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Apr. 2026
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But, this is sadly a highly attractive spot for dirt, dust, and dead bugs to collect.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
3 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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For their part, Democratic leaders spoke mournfully of limits, of energy shortages, of national decline, of a crisis of confidence itself.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
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Based on the Dylan Thomas prose poem of the same name, published in 1952, the film lovingly and mournfully depicts the boyhood Christmastime of an old Welshman, tenderly and a tad mischievously embodied by Elliott.—
Sheldon Pearce,
New Yorker,
21 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Reaching for Miranda's hand, Greta is painfully aware of how unmanicured and rough her nails are.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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After walking for just a few minutes, their legs would painfully freeze up, as if turning to rock — an agony no doctor could explain.—
Alexandra Sifferlin,
STAT,
31 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Third baseman Matt Chapman charged hard and fielded the ball, but the ball popped out of his glove on the exchange.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
5 Apr. 2026
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No baseball community dies harder, without reward, than the Rockies faithful, spring after spring.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bitterly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bitterly. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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