Bitter
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.
1. having or denoting an unpalatable harsh taste, as the peel of an orange or coffee dregs Compare sour [1]
2. showing or caused by strong unrelenting hostility or resentment he was still bitter about the divorce
3. difficult or unpleasant to accept or admit a bitter blow
4. cutting; sarcastic bitter words
5. bitingly cold a bitter night
very; extremely (esp in the phrase bitter cold)
1. a thing that is bitter
2. (Miscellaneous Technologies / Brewing) Brit beer with a high hop content, with a slightly bitter taste
to make or become bitter See also bitters
[Old English biter; related to bītan to bite]
bitterly
bitterness
