bitterness

noun

Definition of bitternessnext
1
as in hostility
a deep-seated ill will he still harbored an implacable bitterness against the company that had fired him

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2
as in bite
a harsh or sharp quality the bitterness of the coffee suggested that it had been reheated

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3
as in chill
an uncomfortable degree of coolness there's a bitterness in the air, so let's build a fire in the fireplace

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4
as in severity
biting sharpness of feeling or expression complained with great bitterness about the ill treatment he had always received

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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 bitterness Instead, that generation’s gesture seems to be stymied or to miss its target and end in bitterness—which is precisely what gives these artists’ work at its best a poignancy on the other side of its aggression and humor. — Barry Schwabsky, ARTnews.com, 8 Sep. 2026 This copper beauty serves up bold floral and citrus aromas, plus the signature IPA bitterness. — Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026 Little united the Syrian rebels during the country’s civil war from 2011 to 2024 outside of their hatred of Assad, and Damascus has sought to cultivate this memory of bitterness to keep the country’s disparate groups together. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 11 Aug. 2026 The tea supplies tannins and bitterness while maple and orange recreate that familiar balance of sweet, bitter and citrus. — Ryan Brennan august 9, Kansas City Star, 9 Aug. 2026 This crucial step concentrates the paste’s flavor and removes any raw spice bitterness. — Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2026 In his drive from Valdosta, Georgia, to Fort Worth, Xavier had time to mull his mission, hours alone in a pickup truck to brood on the bitterness that his father had stirred, or, perhaps, change his mind about killing him. — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Aug. 2026 Tea supplies bitterness and body while maple and orange recreate that familiar balance of sweet, bitter and citrus. — Ryan Brennan august 7, Charlotte Observer, 7 Aug. 2026 Adding salt to coffee is a centuries-old tradition in countries like Turkey and Vietnam to enhance flavor and reduce bitterness. — Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bitterness
  1. hostility
  2. bite
  3. chill
  4. severity
  5. grudge
  6. edge
  7. chilliness
  8. anger
Noun
  • Those moves come amid higher oil prices, with Brent crude futures hovering around $99 a barrel Tuesday amid escalating hostilities in the Middle East.
    — Sarah Min,Hugh Leask, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Goldman's base case Goldman's forecast is based on an increase in hostilities in the Middle East.
    — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of hostility
Noun
  • Summer squash stuffed pasta at BoccaLupo House-made, delicate parcels of pasta are stuffed with tender summer squash, tasting nostalgically like a Southern squash casserole, all wrapped into a single bite.
    — Angela Hansberger, AJC.com, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Breakker needs a win here to go back to the days in which he was considered the man with the loudest bark and the biggest bite.
    — Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of bite
Noun
  • Slow Cooker Beef and Lentil Soup This hearty soup is the correct answer to a winter chill.
    — Lizzy Briskin, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The ever-present chill of mortality ensures that there’s also a lot of talk about who gets to go to heaven.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of chill
Noun
  • Hammer time Rating the severity of Clippers penalties Adam Silver and the NBA finally levied a punishment on the Clippers on Wednesday after 364 days of an investigation into allegations of salary-cap circumvention.
    — Zach Harper, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The tone continues to be placid, the plunky marimba and steel drum score remains the same, and the performances only grow to feel even more remarkably lived-in as the severity of the situation clicks into place.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of severity
Noun
  • Living a dozen miles from their closest neighbor (who has a grudge with Lester), even further from the closest town (a downtrodden shell of its former self), and further still from any sort of hope — or temptation.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Whether or not West has been holding a grudge against Sean all these years, his fans certainly were.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of grudge
Noun
  • The Eagles were not as dominant in 2025, partly due to the regression of the depth in their secondary and the injuries sustained at edge rusher.
    — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The facilities would include what’s known as an edge computing data center, which typically is much smaller than traditional data centers and which Global Stack says would require lower utility use and no municipal water connection.
    — Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of edge
Noun
  • Or that Penélope Cruz’s sultry chilliness would jibe with either her male counterparts or Wilde’s diary-of-a-mad-housewife interpretation of a brittle, eager-to-impress woman brimming with creative frustration.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 June 2026
Definition of chilliness
Noun
  • Wiley agreed to spend 15 days in jail and one year on probation, pay a $1,040 fine, take an anger management course and have no contact with the victim.
    — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2026
  • It eventually was dismissed, but Myers’ anger didn’t subside.
    — Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of anger

Browse Nearby Words

bitterly
bitterness
bit the dust
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Cite this Entry

“Bitterness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bitterness. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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