as in sorrowfully
with feelings of bitterness or grief
cried bitterly after her grandmother died
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Recent Examples of bitterly
Tom’s final epiphany related to his estranged son isn’t earned, but not because of Ruffalo; his performance cuts a fine line between bitterly self-destructive and warmly spiritual.
—
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
San Francisco officials fought bitterly against Waymo and now-defunct Cruise robotaxis from General Motors, after their vehicles repeatedly blocked traffic and emergency vehicles, with Cruise the main perpetrator.
—Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2025
Today, its surface is bitterly cold, with most of its underground water frozen into a thick shell of ice, with some remaining as a salty brine trapped below.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2025
The party fought bitterly against the reformers targeting this assault on democracy.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
Talks to finalize the world’s first treaty on plastic pollution in Geneva, Switzerland collapsed in failure Friday as countries remained bitterly divided how to tackle the crisis.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2025
The jury heard that a year before the attempt on Ali's life, Nazir and his dad, Mohammed Aslam, were injured in a fight at a clothing shop owned by Ali's father — after which Nazir recruited his lover to commit murder as the two families bitterly feuded, the BBC reported.
—Ben Brachfeld, People.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Outside Iran, the opposition can seem bitterly divided, with some parts of the diaspora embracing Pahlavi’s leadership and others in disarray.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 8 Aug. 2025
When similar legislation came up in March, Democrats bitterly split over what to do.
—David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
San Francisco officials fought bitterly against Waymo and now-defunct Cruise robotaxis from General Motors, after their vehicles repeatedly blocked traffic and emergency vehicles, with Cruise the main perpetrator.
—Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2025
Today, its surface is bitterly cold, with most of its underground water frozen into a thick shell of ice, with some remaining as a salty brine trapped below.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2025
The party fought bitterly against the reformers targeting this assault on democracy.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
Talks to finalize the world’s first treaty on plastic pollution in Geneva, Switzerland collapsed in failure Friday as countries remained bitterly divided how to tackle the crisis.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2025
The jury heard that a year before the attempt on Ali's life, Nazir and his dad, Mohammed Aslam, were injured in a fight at a clothing shop owned by Ali's father — after which Nazir recruited his lover to commit murder as the two families bitterly feuded, the BBC reported.
—Ben Brachfeld, People.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Outside Iran, the opposition can seem bitterly divided, with some parts of the diaspora embracing Pahlavi’s leadership and others in disarray.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 8 Aug. 2025
When similar legislation came up in March, Democrats bitterly split over what to do.
—David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bitterly
Adverb
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The fates of so many were decided on the 1969 day when a dashing and sadly underestimated 25-year-old Colonel Qaddafi seized power from the monarchy in a matter of hours and promised a new golden era, inspired by Egypt’s President Nasser.—
Leila Latif,
IndieWire,
2 Sep. 2025
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Several months after sadly losing her childhood cat in 2023, Hannah Powell felt ready to open her heart to a rescue cat in need of a home.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Noah Baumbach’s painfully incisive portrait of a family divorce among a remarkably prickly family of Brooklyn intellectuals finds so many ways to showcase its characters’ most brittle sides.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
29 Aug. 2025
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There was a recognition Amorim’s predecessors had assembled a painfully lopsided squad, while the club had lacked a football structure since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in May 2013.—
Dan Cancian,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Adverb
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That looks like a different Caleb Williams to me, so Ben Johnson's coached him hard this offseason.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
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The mixer's bowl boasts a distinctive walnut shade and wood grain pattern, and its food-safe seal means the bowl works hard (and looks good doing it).—
Ella Field,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bitterly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bitterly. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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