as in sorrowfully
with feelings of bitterness or grief
cried bitterly after her grandmother died
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 bitterly
The trial has dragged on for six years in a case that has bitterly divided the Israeli public.
—
Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
The eight men at the center of this book shared the common experience of being born before the Civil War, when this country was bitterly divided over slavery.
—CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026
Doctors and nurses have complained bitterly about the situation, which forces them to provide inadequate care.
—Elisabeth Rosenthal, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
The money bitterly divided the golf world.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2026
Mary leaves four children, ages 10 to 17 — and relatives feuding so bitterly that the two families had to go to court to decide where Mary would be laid to rest and two separate memorial services were held.
—Jill Smolowe, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
The strike was fought bitterly on both sides.
—Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
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
Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
The eight men at the center of this book shared the common experience of being born before the Civil War, when this country was bitterly divided over slavery.
—CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026
Doctors and nurses have complained bitterly about the situation, which forces them to provide inadequate care.
—Elisabeth Rosenthal, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
The money bitterly divided the golf world.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2026
Mary leaves four children, ages 10 to 17 — and relatives feuding so bitterly that the two families had to go to court to decide where Mary would be laid to rest and two separate memorial services were held.
—Jill Smolowe, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
The strike was fought bitterly on both sides.
—Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bitterly
Adverb
-
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
-
With his partner Nick Pihakis, Scott franchised out a few locations of his restaurant across the Southeastern US, but sadly news broke this week that the restaurants are facing multiple lawsuits for unpaid bills and loans.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
8 May 2026
-
To your point, there’s just so many red carpets now, so sadly the moment doesn’t linger anymore.—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
6 May 2026
Adverb
-
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
-
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
-
This has most painfully affected public-school teachers.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
-
The Connecticut Sun hoped this season would be different from its dismal record in 2025, but the team’s performance in its 2026 opener against the New York Liberty on Friday night felt painfully familiar.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
Adverb
-
Our team plays the game pretty hard and always looks for extra bases.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
In an individual sport, removed from any team dynamic, the results board made the fairness debate hard to ignore.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bitterly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bitterly. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
