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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of bitter
In the kitchen, a fermentation chef uses preservation techniques to change the flavor profile of bitter ingredients to sour or sweet.
—
John Leos, AZCentral.com, 29 Mar. 2026
So did the Justice Department, which is defending the court in this bitter dispute.
—Carrie Johnson, NPR, 29 Mar. 2026
Long Life cigarettes smelled like early death and bitter, frustrated dreams.
—Cassandra Neyenesch, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
Cedric Prizzon, a one-time member of the Paris police and a former rugby league youth international, is also a fathers' rights activist who had been involved in a bitter public custody battle with his former partner.
—CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bitter
John Leos, AZCentral.com, 29 Mar. 2026
So did the Justice Department, which is defending the court in this bitter dispute.
—Carrie Johnson, NPR, 29 Mar. 2026
Long Life cigarettes smelled like early death and bitter, frustrated dreams.
—Cassandra Neyenesch, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
Cedric Prizzon, a one-time member of the Paris police and a former rugby league youth international, is also a fathers' rights activist who had been involved in a bitter public custody battle with his former partner.
—CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bitter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bitter
Adjective
-
That was the result of angry partisans taking seriously Trump’s bogus election-fraud claims.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
27 Mar. 2026
-
House Republicans are angry that the bill passed early Friday by the Senate does not fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol.—
Lisa Mascaro,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
My ila facial was pure joy—no painful extraction or aggravating scrubs here.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Both seasons were painfully funny (often just painful), but the humor sometimes got lost as time has proven even its most over-the-top bits eerily correct.—
Jennifer Silverman,
Rolling Stone,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Much like the days getting longer and the air less biting, a sure harbinger that spring is coming is the 33rd annual West Suburban Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade in downtown Naperville.—
Annie Alleman,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
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As the nation bonded as one over the past two weeks biting nails, screaming at wins, wincing at crashes and choking up at all the beautiful moments of Olympic competition, another group of athletes were – and still are – out honing their multi-level championship skills.—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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His team, which includes his advisor Atsushi Shirane and Masaya Miyahara of Japan’s High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), is aiming to develop a wireless system for controlling robots in this harsh environment.—
Katherine Bourzac,
IEEE Spectrum,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Items that are wind-resistant and waterproof will be good for use in many harsh weather conditions in which the user would need protection.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and chill until filling is set and cake is cold, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Baristas sprinkled shredded phyllo dough over top heaps of cold foam.—
Jenna Thompson
April 1,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Temperatures will struggle to reach 50° on Saturday afternoon, with a chilly breeze.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
One big potential downside of the Air design is that all that mesh seems likely to make for some chilly nights outside the heart of summer.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Then, in the Andante movement, the upper strings opened with a glassy sound before the mournful line of the cello entered.—
Sheila Regan,
Twin Cities,
28 Mar. 2026
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Over the years, humpback whale songs have been recorded for human listening, with many describing the songs as having a haunting, mournful quality.—
Patrick Whittle,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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That said, whole-virus vaccines can cause more unpleasant side effects, and in rare cases, weakened live pathogens can redevelop infectious capability.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
27 Mar. 2026
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Like, what would make this already unpleasant environment even spicier?—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bitter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bitter. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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