bitterness
/'bitənis/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A harsh, unpleasant taste: The quality of having a sharp, acrid, or disagreeable flavor, often associated with substances like quinine, unsweetened coffee, or certain greens.
- A feeling of deep anger and resentment: A state of intense, lingering animosity, ill-will, or hostility, often resulting from a sense of having been wronged.
- A sharp, resentful, or cynical manner: A way of speaking or behaving characterized by harshness, sarcasm, or deep-seated resentment.
Examples of Usage
Referring to taste:
- The bitterness of the dark chocolate was balanced by its sweetness.
- Some people enjoy the slight bitterness in certain types of beer.
Referring to emotion:
- She could not hide the bitterness in her heart after the betrayal.
- His voice was filled with bitterness when he spoke of his former partner.
Referring to manner:
- He replied with unexpected bitterness, shocking everyone at the table.
- There was a tone of bitterness in her critique.
Advanced Usage
- "To take the bitterness out of something": to make a difficult or unpleasant situation more palatable or easier to accept.
- Time helped to take the bitterness out of the painful memory.
- "A pill/medicine of bitterness" (figurative): an unpleasant but necessary truth or action.
- Accepting his mistake was a bitter pill to swallow.
Variants and Related Words
- Bitter (adj): Having a sharp, pungent taste or smell; feeling or showing anger, hurt, or resentment.
- The medicine had a bitter taste.
- She felt bitter about the lost opportunity.
- Bitterly (adv): In an angry, hurt, or resentful way; extremely (used with words like 'cold', 'disappointed').
- He complained bitterly about the decision.
- It was bitterly cold outside.
Synonyms
- Acrimony: Bitterness or ill feeling in speech or behavior.
- Resentment: Bitter indignation at having been treated unfairly.
- Acerbity: Sharpness and directness in speech, often with a sense of bitterness.
- Pungency: A sharply strong taste or smell (for the taste-related sense).
Related Phrases
- Full of bitterness: Completely imbued with resentful feelings.
- His memoir was full of bitterness towards his critics.
- Without bitterness: In a way that is not resentful or angry.
- She accepted the defeat without bitterness.
Related Idioms
- A bitter pill to swallow: An unpleasant fact or situation that is difficult to accept.
- Losing the championship was a bitter pill to swallow for the team.
- To the bitter end: Continuing until the very end, despite difficulties or the certainty of defeat.
- They vowed to fight the legal battle to the bitter end.
Noun
- the property of having a harsh unpleasant taste
- the taste experience when quinine or coffee is taken into the mouth
- a rough and bitter manner
- a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will