bitter

adjective

ˈbi-tər How to pronounce bitter (audio)
Definition of bitternext
1
as in angry
having or showing deep-seated resentment a bitter attitude about always having to work on Saturday she's still bitter about how her family treated her so unfairly

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2
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally discovering that he had been cut from the crew team was a bitter disappointment

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3
as in biting
causing intense discomfort to one's skin a bitter wind was stinging the faces of the skiers

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4
as in harsh
difficult to endure a bitter lesson about money and friendship

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5
as in cold
having a low or subnormal temperature a bitter February day for this part of the country

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6
as in chilly
uncomfortably cool a bitter, rainy day

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7
as in mournful
expressing or suggesting mourning a bitter cry of grief

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8
as in unpleasant
not giving pleasure to the mind or senses had to face the bitter truth about their marriage

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bitter But the Michigan race has been mired in tensions since a bitter primary battle that ended with El-Sayed’s narrow defeat of Stevens and that exposed deep rifts in the party over Israel. — Erin Cox, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2026 Their temperature stays at a bitter 100 kelvins, or about minus 173 degrees Celsius. — Perri Thaler, Quanta Magazine, 30 Oct. 2026 However, any sense that the ceasefire might yield wider progress in the war was tempered by Russian missile strikes on other cities ahead of what is predicted to be a bitter winter for Ukraine. — Alexander Smith, NBC news, 30 Oct. 2026 That ignited a bitter fight, which resulted in fraud accusations against Waldrop being brought to light. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bitter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bitter
  1. angry
  2. painful
  3. biting
  4. harsh
  5. cold
  6. chilly
  7. mournful
  8. unpleasant
Adjective
  • His second confrontation is with an angry, judgmental version of Original Vision who accuses him of cowardice and inaction for denying his identity for so long.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2026
  • His familiar cast of angry, sometimes menacing children began to give way to quieter, more introspective figures.
    — Daniel Cassady for ARTnews, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of angry
Adjective
  • The heartwarming film takes us on a ride through archive and new footage and rehearsals and re-enactments of Happy Gays that bring up happy but also painful memories, along with a different side of the at times curmudgeonly Jolanda.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2026
  • For the third time in two seasons, Sam is forced to sever a relationship, and this one may be the most painful, the most cruel, because in killing Jerry, Sam is destroying potential.
    — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of painful
Adjective
  • Her version is louder and more biting, but never at the sacrifice of the track’s spirit.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026
  • In 2022, Lee County’s Mosquito Control District decided to try aiming radiation at mosquitoes instead, specifically the biting, disease-carrying kind — Aedes aegypti.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of biting
Adjective
  • Martha Stewart is asking Americans for forgiveness after her Halloween costume drew harsh criticism.
    — Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Held without charge, al-Sakani says he was subjected to harsh conditions, including sleep deprivation, inadequate medical care and the withholding of medication.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of harsh
Adjective
  • After starting in the middle of the night, candidates get about four hours of sleep over the next five days and complete tasks like carrying logs, launching boats into crashing waves, lying in cold ocean water and running around 200 miles.
    — James LaPorta, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Doing so before the plant is fully dormant can encourage new growth, which will be vulnerable to cold damage when cooler weather arrives.
    — Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of cold
Adjective
  • Also, our year-round birds — cardinals, blue jays, titmice, Carolina chickadees, bluebirds, mockingbirds, Carolina wrens, woodpeckers and others — will be around all winter and add color and cheer on drab, chilly days.
    — Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Saturday morning got off to a chilly start across North Texas, with low temperatures dipping into the 40s for most locations.
    — Lauren Bostwick, CBS News, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of chilly
Adjective
  • Unfortunately, the disembodied feet on my aunt’s staircase were my last spectral sighting and the mournful whistling was my last haunting.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The One About Matthew Perry, a three-part docuseries, out October 27 on Netflix, is more of a celebration of celebrate Perry’s life instead of a mournful tribute or true crime drama about his death and the headline-making trial that followed.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of mournful
Adjective
  • George is being extremely unpleasant toward everyone and seems to be moving toward a breakdown.
    — Alice Burton, Vulture, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Consumers across the country have described to CBS California Investigates, and in hundreds of online reviews, their unpleasant experiences at the stores, alleging they were pressured to make purchases worth thousands of dollars.
    — Amy Corral, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of unpleasant

Browse Nearby Words

bitten the dust
bitter
bitterly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bitter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bitter. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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