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Bitter

 - 6 dictionary results

bit⋅ter

  [bit-er] adjective, -er, -est, noun, verb, adverb
Use Bitter in a Sentence
–adjective
1. having a harsh, disagreeably acrid taste, like that of aspirin, quinine, wormwood, or aloes.
2. producing one of the four basic taste sensations; not sour, sweet, or salt.
3. hard to bear; grievous; distressful: a bitter sorrow.
4. causing pain; piercing; stinging: a bitter chill.
5. characterized by intense antagonism or hostility: bitter hatred.
6. hard to admit or accept: a bitter lesson.
7. resentful or cynical: bitter words.
–noun
8. that which is bitter; bitterness: Learn to take the bitter with the sweet.
9. British. a very dry ale having a strong taste of hops.
–verb (used with object)
10. to make bitter: herbs employed to bitter vermouth.
–adverb
11. extremely; very; exceedingly: a bitter cold night.
Origin:
bef. 1000; ME, OE biter; c. G bitter, ON bitr, Goth baitrs; akin to bite

Related forms:
bit⋅ter⋅ish, adjective
bit⋅ter⋅ly, adverb
bit⋅ter⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. acrid, biting, distasteful. 3. distressing, poignant, painful. 4. biting, nipping. 5. fierce, cruel, ruthless, relentless. 7. acrimonious, caustic, sardonic, scornful.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To Bitter
bit·ter   (bĭt'ər)   
adj.   bit·ter·er, bit·ter·est

  1. Having or being a taste that is sharp, acrid, and unpleasant.

  2. Causing a sharply unpleasant, painful, or stinging sensation; harsh: enveloped in bitter cold; a bitter wind.

  3. Difficult or distasteful to accept, admit, or bear: the bitter truth; bitter sorrow.

  4. Proceeding from or exhibiting strong animosity: a bitter struggle; bitter foes.

  5. Resulting from or expressive of severe grief, anguish, or disappointment: cried bitter tears.

  6. Marked by resentment or cynicism: "He was already a bitter elderly man with a gray face" (John Dos Passos).

adv.  In an intense or harsh way; bitterly: a bitter cold night.
tr.v.   bit·tered, bit·ter·ing, bit·ters
To make bitter.
n.  

  1. That which is bitter: "all words . . . /Failing to give the bitter of the sweet" (Tennyson).

  2. bitters A bitter, usually alcoholic liquid made with herbs or roots and used in cocktails or as a tonic.

  3. Chiefly British A sharp-tasting beer made with hops.


[Middle English, from Old English; see bheid- in Indo-European roots.]
bit'ter·ly adv., bit'ter·ness n.
Synonyms: These adjectives mean unpleasantly sharp or pungent in taste or smell: a bitter cough syrup; an acerbic green apple; acrid smoke.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

bitter 
O.E. biter, akin to bitan "bite," from P.Gmc. *bitras, from PIE base *bheid- "to split" (see fissure). Meaning moved in prehistoric times from "biting" to "acrid-tasting." Transferred to state of mind and to words in O.E. Bittersweet is 14c. in literal and figurative senses; bitters, so called for its taste, is from 1713. Phrase to the bitter end is attested from 1849.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: bit·ter
Pronunciation: 'bit-&r
Function: adjective
: being or inducing the one of the four basic taste sensations that is peculiarlyacrid, astringent, or disagreeable and suggestive of an infusion of hops —compare SALT 2, SOUR, SWEET —bit·ter·ness noun
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Bible Dictionary

Bitter

Bitterness is symbolical of affliction, misery, and servitude (Ex. 1:14; Ruth 1:20; Jer. 9:15). The Chaldeans are called the "bitter and hasty nation" (Hab. 1:6). The "gall of bitterness" expresses a state of great wickedness (Acts 8:23). A "root of bitterness" is a wicked person or a dangerous sin (Heb. 12:15). The Passover was to be eaten with "bitter herbs" (Ex. 12:8; Num. 9:11). The kind of herbs so designated is not known. Probably they were any bitter herbs obtainable at the place and time when the Passover was celebrated. They represented the severity of the servitude under which the people groaned; and have been regarded also as typical of the sufferings of Christ.

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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Idioms & Phrases

bitter

In addition to the idioms beginning with bitter, also see take the bitter with the sweet.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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