bitter
/'bitə/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective:
- Having a sharp, pungent taste that is not sour or salty: This is the primary sensory meaning, describing a taste like that of black coffee, unsweetened chocolate, or quinine.
- Causing pain or distress to the mind or feelings; hard to accept: Describes experiences, truths, or emotions that are intensely unpleasant, painful, or grievous.
- Characterized by strong feelings of hostility, resentment, or cynicism: Describes a person's attitude, a conflict, or remarks that are full of animosity.
- Extremely cold in a penetrating, unpleasant way: Used to describe weather conditions, especially wind or cold.
Adverb:
- Extremely and sharply: Used to intensify adjectives like "cold" or "disappointed."
Noun:
- A sharp, unpleasant taste: The taste quality itself.
- A type of British beer with a strong, hoppy flavor: A specific category of ale, often served on draft.
Verb:
- To make something taste bitter: To impart a bitter flavor.
Examples of Usage
Adjective (Taste):
- Dark chocolate can be quite bitter.
- The medicine had a bitter aftertaste.
Adjective (Emotional Pain):
- She shed bitter tears after the loss.
- Facing the bitter truth was difficult.
Adjective (Hostility):
- They were bitter enemies for years.
- He made a bitter remark about his former boss.
Adjective (Weather):
- A bitter wind blew from the north.
Adverb:
- It was bitterly cold outside.
- She was bitterly disappointed.
Noun (Taste):
- The bitter of the grapefruit is balanced by its sweetness.
Noun (Beer):
- He ordered a pint of bitter at the pub.
Verb:
- Overcooking can bitter the vegetables.
Advanced Usage
"A bitter pill (to swallow)": A very unpleasant fact or situation that one must accept.
- Losing the championship was a bitter pill to swallow.
"To the bitter end": Until the very end, no matter how difficult or unpleasant.
- They vowed to fight the legal battle to the bitter end.
"Bitterly cold": Extremely and unpleasantly cold.
- The morning was bitterly cold.
Variants and Related Words
- Bitterly (adverb): In a bitter manner.
- Bitterness (noun): The state or quality of being bitter.
- Embitter (verb): To cause someone to feel bitter.
Synonyms
- Adjective (Taste): Acrid, sharp, pungent.
- Adjective (Emotional): Painful, grievous, heartbreaking, sorrowful.
- Adjective (Hostile): Acrimonious, resentful, hostile, virulent, caustic.
- Adjective (Cold): Biting, piercing, raw, freezing.
Related Phrases
Bitter about: Feeling resentful or angry about something.
- He is still bitter about not getting the promotion.
Bitter dispute/feud: A long and angry conflict.
- The two families were engaged in a bitter feud.
Related Idioms
- Take the bitter with the sweet: To accept both the bad and the good things that happen in life.
- In any career, you have to learn to take the bitter with the sweet.
Adjective
- causing a sharply painful or stinging sensation; used especially of cold
- bitter cold
- a biting wind
- causing a sharp and acrid taste experience
- quinine is bitter
- proceeding from or exhibiting great hostility or animosity
- a bitter struggle
- bitter enemies
- expressive of severe grief or regret
- shed bitter tears
- harsh or corrosive in tone
- an acerbic tone piercing otherwise flowery prose
- a barrage of acid comments
- her acrid remarks make her many enemies
- bitter words
- blistering criticism
- caustic jokes about political assassination, talk-show hosts and medical ethics
- a sulfurous denunciation
- a vitriolic critique
- very difficult to accept or bear
- the bitter truth
- a bitter sorrow
- marked by strong resentment or cynicism
- an acrimonious dispute
- bitter about the divorce
Adverb
- extremely and sharply
- it was bitterly cold
- bitter cold
Noun
- the property of having a harsh unpleasant taste
- the taste experience when quinine or coffee is taken into the mouth
- English term for a dry sharp-tasting ale with strong flavor of hops (usually on draft)
Verb
- make bitter