bitterness

1 a deep-seated ill will he still harbored an implacable bitterness against the company that had fired him Synonyms animosity, animus, antagonism, antipathy, bad blood, enmity, gall, grudge, hostility, jaundice, rancorRelated Words blood feud, feud, score, vendetta; hate, hatred, loathing; vindictiveness, virulence, vitriol; alienation, disaffection, estrangement; conflict, coolness, discord, friction, strain, tension; inhospitableness, unfriendliness; malice, malignancy, malignity, spite, spitefulness, venomNear Antonyms amiability, amicability, civility, cordiality, friendliness, hospitality, neighborliness; comity, empathy, friendship, goodwill, sympathy, understandingAntonyms amity

2 a harsh or sharp quality the bitterness of the coffee suggested that it had been reheated Synonyms acerbity, acidity, acidness, acridity, acridness, acrimoniousness, acrimony, acuteness, asperity, bite, edge, harshness, keenness, poignance, poignancy, pungency, roughness, sharpness, tartnessRelated Words ginger, punch, spice, tang; raucousness, severeness, severity, shrillness, virulence, vitriol; cattiness, maliciousness; pointedness, thorninessNear Antonyms gentleness, kindlinessAntonyms mildness, softness

3 an uncomfortable degree of coolness there's a bitterness in the air, so let's build a fire in the fireplace Synonyms bite, chill, bleakness, chilliness, nip, nippiness, rawness, sharpnessRelated Words briskness, crispness; coldness, frigidity, frigidness, frostiness, gelidity, iciness, wintriness; cold, freeze, snapNear Antonyms balminess, warmness, warmth; heat, hotness, sultriness

4 biting sharpness of feeling or expression complained with great bitterness about the ill treatment he had always received from his in-laws Synonyms acidity, acidness, acridity, acridness, asperity, bile, acrimony, cattiness, corrosiveness, mordancy, tartness, virulence, virulency, vitriolRelated Words gruffness, harshness, hostility, relentlessness, severity, sternness, vehemence; coldness, crossness, discourteousness, iciness, impoliteness, incivility, nastiness, rudeness, sourness, surliness, ungraciousness; anger, animosity, gall, jaundice, malevolence, malice, rancor, scorn, spite, spleen, venom, vindictiveness; jealousy, pique, resentment, sour grapesNear Antonyms civility, cordiality, courtesy, diplomacy, geniality, graciousness, kindness, politeness, tactfulness; compassion, softness, sweetness, sympathy, tenderness, warmth; oiliness, smoothness, suaveness, suavity, unctuousness, urbanity