bitter

Pluralbitters

Formsbitters, bittering, bittered

1. 1
   sharp tasteadjective

   Having the sharp, often unpleasant taste of things like black coffee, quinine or hops, one of the basic tastes.

   The wild greens turned bitter once the plant began to flower.

   Dark chocolate can taste quite bitter when it contains little sugar.

   UsageAfter verbs of sensing and change: taste bitter, turn bitter (not incorrect: taste bitterly).

   Similaracrid, sharp

   Oppositesweet

   Note

   It is one of the few tastes with its own receptors on the tongue, alongside sweet, sour, salty and umami. It sits naturally after verbs of sensing and change: taste bitter, turn bitter, and Robert W. Chambers even lets a cigar burn bitter. Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

   • Bitter is a basic taste detected by receptors in tongue taste cells, alongside sweet, sour, salty and umami. nidcd.nih.gov
   • Robert W. Chambers describes a cigar burning bitter. gutenberg.org
2. 2
   holding a grudgeadjective

   Marked by cynicism and lasting resentment toward people or circumstances.

   He grew bitter after losing both his job and his home in the same year.

   Years of rejection left her bitter and withdrawn from old friends.

   UsageOften bitter about something, or feel bitter.

   Similarresentful, cynical, sour, jaded

3. 3
   between enemiesadjective

   Marked by hatred or open hostility, as between fierce opponents.

   The two nations remained locked in a bitter conflict for a decade.

   What began as a small disagreement grew into a bitter feud.

   UsageCommon before words for conflict: bitter enemies, a bitter feud; an older pattern is bitter against someone.

   Similaracrimonious, fierce, hostile, rancorous

   Oppositeamicable, friendly

   Note

   Hostility between two sides is where this sense does its work: bitter enemies, bitter rivals. Phil McNulty's 2022 report on Arsenal and Tottenham shows the modern pattern. An older construction aims the feeling at someone with against, as in the King James Bible of 1611: "be not bitter against them." Unlike the resentful sense, which describes a settled state of mind, this one points outward at an opponent. Source

   Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

   • Phil McNulty wrote a 2022 report about Arsenal and Tottenham using bitter rivals. bbc.co.uk
   • The King James Bible was first published in 1611. en.wikisource.org
   • The King James Bible contains the quoted wording be not bitter against them. en.wikisource.org
4. 4
   bitingadjective

   Harsh, piercing, and stinging, as of severe cold or sharply critical speech.

   A bitter wind cut straight across the open field.

   We walked home through the bitter cold, our faces stinging in the wind.

   UsageCommon with weather: bitter cold, a bitter wind; both bitterer and more bitter are correct.

   Similarbiting, harsh, piercing, cutting, icy

   Oppositemild, gentle

   Note

   Here the bite moves from the taste sense to the skin and the ear. Weather is a natural home for it: in Neil Gaiman's Stardust (first serialized in 1997), a bitter wind howls down the moors at the end of February. Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

   • Neil Gaiman wrote Stardust. dcuniverseinfinite.com
   • Stardust describes a bitter wind howling down the moors at the end of February. en.wiktionary.org
5. 5
   herb flavoringnouncountable or uncountable

   A liquid or powder made from bitter herbs, used to flavor mixed drinks or taken as a tonic.

   The bartender shook a few dashes of orange bitters into the glass.

   Her grandfather swore by a splash of bitters in warm water after dinner to help his digestion.

   UsageUsually bitters, even for one preparation: a dash of bitters.

   Note

   The plural has been at home in English for centuries. David Garrick's prologue to Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer (1773) rhymes it with glitters: "Pleasure seems sweet, but proves a glass of bitters." Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 4 facts

   • The plural bitters has been used in English for centuries. en.wikisource.org
   • David Garrick wrote the prologue to She Stoops to Conquer. en.wikisource.org
   • Goldsmith wrote She Stoops to Conquer, first published in 1773. en.wikisource.org
   • The prologue contains the exact quoted line and rhymes bitters with glitters. en.wikisource.org
6. 6
   beernouncountable or uncountable

   A type of beer given a strong flavor by a heavy dose of hops.

   He ordered a pint of bitter at the corner pub.

   The local brewery is famous for its smooth, malty bitter.

   UsageOften a pint of bitter.

7. 7
   hard to acceptadjective

   Bringing sorrow, hurt or disappointment that a person struggles to come to terms with.

   After a bitter loss in the semifinal, the coach refused to speak to reporters.

   Losing the family farm was the bitterest blow of her life.

   Similarpainful, crushing, heartbreaking, cruel

   Oppositesweet

   Note

   The taste of the acrid flavor carried over to events that are hard to swallow. Here bitter describes the thing that happened, usually a defeat, a loss or a blow, and it sits before the noun. Keep it apart from the resentful feeling: a bitter defeat is painful to accept, while a bitter loser is the person still nursing a grudge about it.

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