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a
: being, inducing, or marked by the one of the five basic taste sensations that is peculiarly acrid, astringent, and often disagreeable and characteristic of citrus peels, unsweetened cocoa, black coffee, mature leafy greens (such as kale or mustard), or ale
The pill left a bitter taste in my mouth.
bitter beer
bitter chocolates
compare salty entry 1 sense 1b, sour entry 1 sense 1, sweet entry 1, umami entry 2 sense 1
b
: distasteful or distressing to the mind : galling
a bitter sense of shame
2
: marked by intensity or severity:
a
: accompanied by severe pain or suffering
a bitter death
b
: being relentlessly determined : vehement
a bitter partisan
c
: exhibiting intense animosity
bitter enemies
d(1)
: harshly reproachful
bitter complaints
(2)
: marked by cynicism and rancor
bitter contempt
was still bitter about not being chosen
e
: intensely unpleasant especially in coldness or rawness
a bitter wind
3
: caused by or expressive of severe pain, grief, or regret
bitter tears
1
a
: bitter quality
… stepping outside your comfort zone and taking the bitter with the sweet.—
James Poniewoziks
James Poniewoziks
b
: the taste sensation that is peculiarly acrid, astringent, and often disagreeable and is characteristic of citrus peels, unsweetened cocoa, black coffee, mature leafy greens (such as kale or mustard), or ale compare salty entry 2, sour entry 2 sense 1b, sweet entry 3 sense 2, umami entry 1
2
a
bitters
ˈbi-tərz 
plural
: a usually alcoholic solution of bitter and often aromatic plant products used especially in preparing mixed drinks or as a mild tonic (see tonic entry 1 sense 1b)
plural
: a usually alcoholic solution of bitter and often aromatic plant products used especially in preparing mixed drinks or as a mild tonic (see tonic entry 1 sense 1b)
b
British
: a very dry (see dry entry 1 sense 7b) heavily hopped ale
: to an intense or severe degree : to a bitter (see bitter entry 1) degree
It's bitter cold.
Synonyms
Example Sentences
Adjective
Cocoa beans have a bitter flavor.
The medicine had a bitter aftertaste.
We were struck by the bitter irony of the situation.
His betrayal had made her bitter.
She was still bitter toward her ex-husband.
He's the bitterest man I know.
Noun
The cocktail recipe called for a dash of bitters.
a good selection of bitters
See More
Recent Examples on the WebZach Osterman, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Mar. 2023
Having lost his daughter at the outbreak of the apocalypse, Joel (Pedro Pascal) was hardened and bitter when originally tasked with escorting Ellie across the country, where her immunity to the virus might provide hope for humanity.
—Brian Lowry, CNN, 12 Mar. 2023
The grounds produced resulted in a cup of coffee that was a bit bready and bitter on the end and had a bit of an amber ale feel.
—Barbara Bellesi Zito, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2023
The carpenter Geppetto is heartbroken and bitter years after having lost his son, Carlo.
—oregonlive, 6 Mar. 2023
Angry and bitter toward his late father, young Adonis ventures to Philly to ask Rocky to train him.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2023
But many areas of the world experience bitter winters, as well as sweltering summers.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 27 Feb. 2023
The last bitcoin bull run turned into a bitter crypto winter in late 2021, with the bitcoin price crashing to under $16,000 per bitcoin from a peak of almost $70,000.
—Billy Bambrough, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2023
Afghanistan’s economy is now on the brink of collapse, with millions unemployed and close to starvation — a dire humanitarian crisis exacerbated by a bitter winter.
—Aina J. Khan, NBC News, 17 Feb. 2023
Morgan Hines, USA TODAY, 3 Feb. 2023
Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase fumbled on the ensuing possession to set up the nail-bitter of a finish.
—Michael Niziolek, cleveland, 24 Dec. 2022
In contrast, landing on cards with odd numbers resulted in a bitter-tasting quinine.
—Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 16 Dec. 2022
In contrast, landing on cards with odd numbers resulted in a bitter-tasting quinine.
—Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 16 Dec. 2022
In contrast, landing on cards with odd numbers resulted in a bitter-tasting quinine.
—Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 16 Dec. 2022
The leaves are typically dried and ground up, then brewed in hot water to make a bitter-tasting tea.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 10 Oct. 2022
In contrast, landing on cards with odd numbers resulted in a bitter-tasting quinine.
—Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 16 Dec. 2022
To make it, blend tender kale leaves (be sure to skip the bitter-tasting stems) with rum, simple syrup, lime juice, and ice for a cocktail appropriately colored for St. Patrick's Day.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Oct. 2022
Eric Velasco, al, 23 Apr. 2020
This grape is extremely approachable, with lots of fruit flavor and balanced dryness, due to the low tannins, which are the drying or bittering agent in many wines.
—Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati.com, 7 Nov. 2019
With all the ABVs and bittering units, barrel sizes and batch numbers, a beer bottle’s label can often read like the back of a baseball card.
—William Bostwick, WSJ, 8 Aug. 2018
The liqueur puts Indiana persimmons front and center while adding traditional bittering agents like rhubarb root and bitter orange peel, with cardamom and spearmint offering added complexity.
—Kenney Marlatt, chicagotribune.com, 30 May 2018
Another hop, typically grown in the Southern Hemisphere and used largely as a bittering agent, presented big, fruit flavors more like traditional West Coast hops.
—Natasha Geiling, Smithsonian, 21 May 2018
Those are made employing the still somewhat suspicious American practice of adding bittering hops to the mix, but there's nothing aggressive or even untoward about them.
—Mike Sula, Chicago Reader, 22 Mar. 2018
Night Shift built Nite Lite similarly, adding real corn (as opposed to corn syrup or rice syrup) and brewing with a touch of Saaz hops, the classic bittering agent in a Czech pilsner.
—Gary Dzen, BostonGlobe.com, 20 Mar. 2018
Two grants for a total of $135,154 went to Pennsylvania State University for projects involving hops, which are the bittering agent in beer.
—Harold Brubaker, Philly.com, 1 Mar. 2018
Chris Gorski, Discover Magazine, 28 Jan. 2023
This mutation might even be an evolutionary remnant of a once-crucial survival mechanism to avoid bitter-tasting toxic plants and animals.
—Kareem Clark, Discover Magazine, 1 Nov. 2021
Do not let this sadness, this fear, rage turn you bitter towards our world.
—Kathleen Foody, BostonGlobe.com, 8 July 2022
Shake out every last drop from your previous pot to keep the next round from turning bitter.
—Max Falkowitz, Bon Appétit, 5 May 2022
Two-thirds of 137 participants in the Phase 2 trial received AMX0035, a bitter-tasting powder mixed with water to be drunk or ingested through a feeding tube twice daily.
—New York Times, 30 Mar. 2022
The ingredients for — and method of making — the crisp, bright and bitter-leaning drink lie directly in its name.
—Rebekah Peppler, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2022
Wormwood is a European plant that yields a bitter-tasting oil but contains neither worm nor wood.
—Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 June 2021
The benefit to squeezers is more control over the juicing process, so your end result should be pure, delicious juice with no bitter-tasting peel oil.
—Laura Duerr, chicagotribune.com, 13 Mar. 2021
See More
Adjective
Anything sweet in the Hoosiers' season was also bitter, as the end arrived earlier than anyone on the MVP Arena home bench would have hoped.
—Zach Osterman, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Mar. 2023
Having lost his daughter at the outbreak of the apocalypse, Joel (Pedro Pascal) was hardened and bitter when originally tasked with escorting Ellie across the country, where her immunity to the virus might provide hope for humanity.
—Brian Lowry, CNN, 12 Mar. 2023
The grounds produced resulted in a cup of coffee that was a bit bready and bitter on the end and had a bit of an amber ale feel.
—Barbara Bellesi Zito, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2023
The carpenter Geppetto is heartbroken and bitter years after having lost his son, Carlo.
—oregonlive, 6 Mar. 2023
Angry and bitter toward his late father, young Adonis ventures to Philly to ask Rocky to train him.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2023
But many areas of the world experience bitter winters, as well as sweltering summers.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 27 Feb. 2023
The last bitcoin bull run turned into a bitter crypto winter in late 2021, with the bitcoin price crashing to under $16,000 per bitcoin from a peak of almost $70,000.
—Billy Bambrough, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2023
Afghanistan’s economy is now on the brink of collapse, with millions unemployed and close to starvation — a dire humanitarian crisis exacerbated by a bitter winter.
—Aina J. Khan, NBC News, 17 Feb. 2023
Noun
Campari, the maker of the red Italian bitter that characterizes the vibrant cocktail, shared its Classic Negroni recipe with USA TODAY.
—Morgan Hines, USA TODAY, 3 Feb. 2023
Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase fumbled on the ensuing possession to set up the nail-bitter of a finish.
—Michael Niziolek, cleveland, 24 Dec. 2022
In contrast, landing on cards with odd numbers resulted in a bitter-tasting quinine.
—Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 16 Dec. 2022
In contrast, landing on cards with odd numbers resulted in a bitter-tasting quinine.
—Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 16 Dec. 2022
In contrast, landing on cards with odd numbers resulted in a bitter-tasting quinine.
—Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 16 Dec. 2022
The leaves are typically dried and ground up, then brewed in hot water to make a bitter-tasting tea.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 10 Oct. 2022
In contrast, landing on cards with odd numbers resulted in a bitter-tasting quinine.
—Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 16 Dec. 2022
To make it, blend tender kale leaves (be sure to skip the bitter-tasting stems) with rum, simple syrup, lime juice, and ice for a cocktail appropriately colored for St. Patrick's Day.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Oct. 2022
Verb
Most Beach Club beers, like Mango Colada with coconut and lime, have minimal amounts of bittering hops.
—Eric Velasco, al, 23 Apr. 2020
This grape is extremely approachable, with lots of fruit flavor and balanced dryness, due to the low tannins, which are the drying or bittering agent in many wines.
—Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati.com, 7 Nov. 2019
With all the ABVs and bittering units, barrel sizes and batch numbers, a beer bottle’s label can often read like the back of a baseball card.
—William Bostwick, WSJ, 8 Aug. 2018
The liqueur puts Indiana persimmons front and center while adding traditional bittering agents like rhubarb root and bitter orange peel, with cardamom and spearmint offering added complexity.
—Kenney Marlatt, chicagotribune.com, 30 May 2018
Another hop, typically grown in the Southern Hemisphere and used largely as a bittering agent, presented big, fruit flavors more like traditional West Coast hops.
—Natasha Geiling, Smithsonian, 21 May 2018
Those are made employing the still somewhat suspicious American practice of adding bittering hops to the mix, but there's nothing aggressive or even untoward about them.
—Mike Sula, Chicago Reader, 22 Mar. 2018
Night Shift built Nite Lite similarly, adding real corn (as opposed to corn syrup or rice syrup) and brewing with a touch of Saaz hops, the classic bittering agent in a Czech pilsner.
—Gary Dzen, BostonGlobe.com, 20 Mar. 2018
Two grants for a total of $135,154 went to Pennsylvania State University for projects involving hops, which are the bittering agent in beer.
—Harold Brubaker, Philly.com, 1 Mar. 2018
Adverb
To see whether an individual’s diet affects the composition of its saliva, researchers gathered saliva from rats habituated to a diet including bitter-tasting quinine.
—Chris Gorski, Discover Magazine, 28 Jan. 2023
This mutation might even be an evolutionary remnant of a once-crucial survival mechanism to avoid bitter-tasting toxic plants and animals.
—Kareem Clark, Discover Magazine, 1 Nov. 2021
Do not let this sadness, this fear, rage turn you bitter towards our world.
—Kathleen Foody, BostonGlobe.com, 8 July 2022
Shake out every last drop from your previous pot to keep the next round from turning bitter.
—Max Falkowitz, Bon Appétit, 5 May 2022
Two-thirds of 137 participants in the Phase 2 trial received AMX0035, a bitter-tasting powder mixed with water to be drunk or ingested through a feeding tube twice daily.
—New York Times, 30 Mar. 2022
The ingredients for — and method of making — the crisp, bright and bitter-leaning drink lie directly in its name.
—Rebekah Peppler, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2022
Wormwood is a European plant that yields a bitter-tasting oil but contains neither worm nor wood.
—Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 June 2021
The benefit to squeezers is more control over the juicing process, so your end result should be pure, delicious juice with no bitter-tasting peel oil.
—Laura Duerr, chicagotribune.com, 13 Mar. 2021
See More
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bitter.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English, going back to Old English biter, going back to Germanic *bitra- (whence Old Saxon & Old High German bittar "acrid-tasting," Old Norse bitr "biting, sharp") and *baitra- (whence Gothic baitrs "sharp-tasting"), derivatives from the base of *bītan- "to bite" — more at bite entry 1
Noun
derivative of bitter entry 1
Verb
Middle English bittrin, going back to Old English biterian, derivative of biter bitter entry 1
Adverb
Middle English bitter, bittere, going back to Old English bitere, derivative of biter bitter entry 1
First Known Use
Adjective
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
12th century, in the meaning defined above
Adverb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of bitter was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing bitter
Articles Related to bitter
Dictionary Entries Near bitter
Cite this Entry
“Bitter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bitter. Accessed 26 Mar. 2023.
Kids Definition
bitter
adjective
bit·ter
ˈbit-ər
1
: having or being a disagreeable sharp taste that is one of the four basic taste sensations
bitter coffee
compare salt entry 3 sense 1b, sour entry 1 sense 1, sweet entry 1 sense 1b
2
: hard to accept or bear : painful
bitter disappointment
3
: sharp and resentful
a bitter reply
4
: unpleasantly cold
a bitter wind
bitterly
adverb
bitterness
noun
Medical Definition
bitter
adjective
bit·ter
ˈbit-ər
: being or inducing the one of the four basic taste sensations that is peculiarly acrid, astringent, or disagreeable and suggestive of an infusion of hops compare salt entry 2 sense 2, sour entry 1, sweet entry 1
bitterness
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on bitter
Nglish: Translation of bitter for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of bitter for Arabic Speakers
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