Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Topic: TASTES

Language: Old English
Origin: biter

bitter

1 adjective
     
bit‧ter1 S3 W3
1 feeling angry, jealous, and upset because you think you have been treated unfairly [↪ bitterly]
bitter about
I feel very bitter it.
a bitter old man
2 [only before noun] making you feel very unhappy and upset [↪ bitterly]
a bitter disappointment/blow
If he failed, it would be a bitter disappointment to his parents.
His photo stirred up bitter memories.
from bitter experience (=because of your own very unpleasant experiences)
She knew from bitter experience that it would be impossible to talk it over with Julian.
3 a bitter argument, battle etc is one in which people oppose or criticize each other with strong feelings of hate and anger
bitter dispute/battle/struggle etc
The couple are locked in a bitter battle for custody of the children.
The government faces bitter opposition to these policies.
The countries are still bitter enemies.
4CT having a sharp strong taste like black coffee without sugar [↪ sour; sweet]:
Enjoy the beer's bitter taste as you slowly drink it.
bitter chocolate
5DN unpleasantly cold [↪ bitterly]:
a bitter wind
the bitter cold of the Midwestern winters
6

to the bitter end

continuing until the end, even though this is difficult:
Employees have vowed to fight the closure to the bitter end.
7

a bitter pill (to swallow)

something very unpleasant that you must accept:
The knowledge that his friends no longer trusted him was a bitter pill to swallow.
—bitterness noun [uncountable]
WORD FOCUS: taste WORD FOCUS: taste
delicious/tasty tastes very good
disgusting tastes very bad
hot/spicy has a lot of spices
bland boring and with not very much taste
sweet has a lot of sugar
salty has a lot of salt
sour used about fruit that is not sweet
bitter used about coffee, chocolate, or medicine that is not at all sweettaste

➔ See also taste
Definition of bitter from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English within
the topic TASTES
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