What does "bitter" mean?
A liquid or powder, made from bitter herbs, used in mixed drinks or as a tonic.
Bitter
/ˈbɪt.ə/ adj, adv, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, adv, name, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A liquid or powder, made from bitter herbs, used in mixed drinks or as a tonic.
- Grammar: bitter is listed as adj, adv, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: acrid, acrimonious, acerb, acerb.
- Useful contrasts: optimistic, sweet, creamy.
- Usage evidence: Laugh as much as you like; I'll stick to my plan to the bitter end.
How to use "bitter"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bitter" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "bitter" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "bitter" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "bitter" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "bitter" is acting as adj, adv, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "acrid" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "bitter", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A liquid or powder, made from bitter herbs, used in mixed drinks or as a tonic. countable, uncountable
"Thus I begin: "All is not gold that glitters, "Pleasure seems sweet, but proves a glass of bitters."
- 2 A hardware system whose architecture is based around units of the specified number of bits (binary digits). in-compounds, informal
"However, 16-bitters are far more expensive than the 8-bit variety. And, unfortunately, have only a handful of business applications software packages that really take advantage of them."
- 3 the property of having a harsh unpleasant taste wordnet
- 4 A type of beer heavily flavored with hops. countable, uncountable
- 5 the taste experience when quinine or coffee is taken into the mouth wordnet
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A turn of a cable about the bitts. countable, uncountable
- 7 English term for a dry sharp-tasting ale with strong flavor of hops (usually on draft) wordnet
Verb
- 1 To make bitter. archaic
"bittered with the hop"
- 2 make bitter wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Having an acrid taste (usually from a basic substance).
"The coffee tasted bitter."
- 2 Harsh, piercing, acerbic or stinging.
"It was at the end of February, […] when the world was cold, and a bitter wind howled down the moors […]."
- 3 Hateful or hostile.
"They're bitter enemies."
- 4 Cynical and resentful.
"I've been bitter ever since that defeat."
Adjective
- 1 marked by strong resentment or cynicism wordnet
- 2 proceeding from or exhibiting great hostility or animosity wordnet
- 3 expressive of severe grief or regret wordnet
- 4 causing a sharply painful or stinging sensation; used especially of cold wordnet
- 5 harsh or corrosive in tone wordnet
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 causing a sharp and acrid taste experience wordnet
- 7 very difficult to accept or bear wordnet
Adverb
- 1 To an intense or severe degree; bitterly.
"A dynamic personality in the outfit, he met his death in the bitter-fought engagements in Venafro."
Adverb
- 1 extremely and sharply wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname from Dutch or German.
Antonyms
Example
"Laugh as much as you like; I'll stick to my plan to the bitter end."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "bitter"?
Common synonyms include: acrid, acrimonious, acerb, acerb, acerb, acerbate.
How do you use "bitter" in a sentence?
Laugh as much as you like; I'll stick to my plan to the bitter end.
How do you pronounce "bitter"?
Pronounced /ˈbɪt.ə/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English bitter, bittre, from Old English bitter, biter (“bitter”), from Proto-West Germanic *bitr, from Proto-Germanic *bitraz (“bitter”), equivalent to bite + -er (agent noun suffix) used attributively. Cognate with Saterland Frisian bitter, West Frisian bitter, Low German bitter, Dutch bitter, German bitter, Swedish bitter, Icelandic bitur (all meaning “bitter”).
Etymology 2
From bit + -er.