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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.

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 the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

bitter·ly adv.

bitter·ness n.

Synonyms: bitter, acerbic, acrid
These adjectives mean unpleasantly sharp or pungent in taste or smell: a bitter cough syrup; a cheap, acerbic wine; acrid smoke.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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