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
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Recent Examples of bitter
Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law school professor and expert on federal judicial nominations, said the timing of Shaw-Wilder’s confirmation in the Senate could not have been worse because of the bitter battle between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
—
Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 8 May 2025
Pilecki’s life ended on a particularly bitter and darkly ironic note.
—Paul Hockenos, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 May 2025
The cookies won’t taste like a latte, but sort of like a bay leaf in a stew, the instant espresso powder rounds out the cookie with a subtle bitter background flavor that balances the sweetness of the dough.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 3 May 2025
Her coverage has ranged from a rare interview with Mark Zuckerberg as Meta neared its 20th birthday to the bitter divorce proceedings of an Indian software billionaire.
—Kerry A. Dolan, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bitter
Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 8 May 2025
Pilecki’s life ended on a particularly bitter and darkly ironic note.
—Paul Hockenos, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 May 2025
The cookies won’t taste like a latte, but sort of like a bay leaf in a stew, the instant espresso powder rounds out the cookie with a subtle bitter background flavor that balances the sweetness of the dough.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 3 May 2025
Her coverage has ranged from a rare interview with Mark Zuckerberg as Meta neared its 20th birthday to the bitter divorce proceedings of an Indian software billionaire.
—Kerry A. Dolan, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bitter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bitter
Adjective
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If an extended trade war with China leads to higher prices and shortages of key goods for Americans, an angry public could throw out some Republicans, handing control of the House and even possibly the Senate to Democrats.—
Ann Scott Tyson,
Christian Science Monitor,
9 May 2025
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That's the tipping point, and Austin breaks up the bromance, leaving Craig lost and angry and eager to prove himself as a cool dude worth hanging out with.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
9 May 2025
Adjective
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The alternative — a world in which the United States and China no longer engage in trade — could be economically painful and destabilizing.—
Alan Rappeport,
New York Times,
10 May 2025
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Appearance: The condition starts as small, extremely painful blisters on your shins (and sometimes your arms).—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
9 May 2025
Adjective
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Katy Perry is continuing to catch strays, this time from the most biting demographic of all: the pop girlie fandom.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
2 May 2025
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During the taping of a recent Netflix special, Kyle Dunnigan impersonated Musk onstage in a biting parody—the audience laughed, but Rogan sat mostly silent, avoiding eye contact, appearing unwilling to signal disloyalty to the tech mogul.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
This garment gets exposed to harsher conditions than most clothing.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
11 May 2025
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More precipitation in these locations could make up for the harsh cold season.—
Jordan-Marie Smith,
NPR,
11 May 2025
Adjective
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Distributors — dear friends and colleagues — lament the same familiar woes: not enough films, or too many; the best titles are overpriced; the coffee is terrible; the weather is unbearable — too hot, too cold or both.—
Martin Moszkowicz,
Deadline,
17 May 2025
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Studies show the therapy can support longevity, with cold (like ice baths, cold showers, and facial icing) and warm temperatures (like saunas, steam rooms, and hot baths) proven to slow aging, improve metabolic health, and lower the rate in which our cells die.—
Essence,
Essence,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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Listen to this article A small group, most wearing light jackets in the chilly May evening, gathered in prayer outside the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City Monday night just hours before Benjamin Ritchie was executed by lethal injection.—
Alexandra Kukulka,
Chicago Tribune,
20 May 2025
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During chilly morning boat excursions, hot water bottles appeared on our seats.—
Regan Stephens,
Travel + Leisure,
20 May 2025
Adjective
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The slow, mournful piano chords capture the somber bite of the scene with remarkable punch yet also a sobering stillness, and that’s before the elegiac words carry the song off into the sky.—
Daniel Dylan Wray,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2025
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Wynette’s mournful lyrics about a partner who has left—will one protagonist leave the other during the game’s main campaign?—to the sound of lonely, sad acoustic country music is the flip side of Wang Chung’s carefree spirit.—
Brady Gerber,
Vulture,
7 May 2025
Adjective
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Best Smelling Photograph: Kristin Canning Grand Tongo Green Tea + Mint Insect Repellent $15 Amazon After testing nearly 20 different bug sprays (that pretty much all smelled at least a little unpleasant and chemical-y), this picaridin spray from Grand Tongo truly blew me away.—
Kristin Canning,
Wired News,
21 May 2025
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Today after dropping off groceries, my wife noted that the refrigerator, in her opinion, had an unpleasant odor.—
Eric Thomas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bitter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bitter. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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