Today young people find themselves, through no fault of their own, living in a world torn by international bitterness and the threat of nuclear destruction.
Source: tatoeba (243036)
Bitterness
/ˈbɪtənəs/
Synonyms for "bitterness" (204 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (41)
Strong matches (61)
Noun(5 words)
bitter feelingbitter pillbitter resentmentbitterness of spiritbleaknessbleeding heartbrisknessbroken heartcausticitycausticnesscheerlessnesschillchillinesscholercoldcoldnesscomfortlessnesscontritenesscontritioncool
Show 36 more words
coolnesscoolthcorrosivenesscrispnesscrushingcryogenicscryologycuttingnessdecrease in temperaturedepressiondepth of miserydesolationdespairdiscomfortdismalnessdistressdistressfulnessdrearinessedgeenmityextremityfeudfiercenessfreezing pointfreshnessfrigidityfrostinessgallgall and wormwoodgeliditygnashing of teethgriefgrievousnessgriphard feelingsharshness
Related words (102)
hatredheartacheheartburningheavy hearthostilityicinessill bloodill feelingill willill-willincisivenessinclemencyinfelicityintense coldjoylessnesskeennesslamentabilitylamentationlow temperaturemalice
Show 72 more words
melancholiamelancholymiserymordacitymordancymournfulnessnipnippinessoutragepainpainfulnesspathospiercingnesspiquancypitiabilitypitiablenesspitifulnesspoignancypointprostrationpungencyrancorranklingrawnessregretregretfulnessregretsregrettablenessregrettingremorseremorse of conscienceremorsefulnessrepiningresentmentrigorroughnesssadnesssarcasmseverityshameshamefacednessshamefastnessshamefulnesssharp airsharpnessslow burnsorenesssorrinesssorrowsorrowfulnesssournessspitespleenstabbingnessstingstridencystringencysuicidal despairtartnessteethtrenchancyvehemencevendettavenomviolencevirulencevitriolwistfulnesswoewoebegonenesswoefulnesswretchedness
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: acrimony, resentment, acerbity, acridness, gall.
- Sentence evidence is available for bitterness, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, wordnet, opengloss, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "bitterness".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "bitterness"
Keep "bitterness" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "bitterness" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "bitterness", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "bitterness" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
15 entriesMore specific
10 entriesacrimonycoffee bitternessgrapefruit bitternessgrudgehostilityliterary bitternessmemory bitternessmoral bitternessresentmentvenom
Collocations
6 entriesbitter aftertastebitter tastebitterness of defeatbitterness of memorybitterness toward lifedeep bitterness
Derivations
2 entriesTranslations
104 translations across 47 languages.
Ancient Greek
3 entries- πικρία noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- πικρία noun (quality of feeling bitter)
- πικρότης noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
Arabic
1 entries- مَرَارَة noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
Aromanian
2 entries- amãreatsã noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- amãrãciuni noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
Asturian
2 entries- amargor noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- amargura noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
Bangi
1 entries- bololo noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
Bulgarian
2 entries- горчивина noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- горчивина noun (quality of feeling bitter)
Campidanese Sardinian
1 entries- amargura noun (quality of feeling bitter)
Catalan
4 entries- amargor noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- amargor noun (quality of feeling bitter)
- amarguesa noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- amarguesa noun (quality of feeling bitter)
Cebuano
1 entries- kapait noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
Czech
1 entries- hořkost noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
Esperanto
4 entries- amareco noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- amareco noun (quality of feeling bitter)
- amaro noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- amaro noun (quality of feeling bitter)
Finnish
2 entries- katkeruus noun (quality of feeling bitter)
- kitkeryys noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
Franco-Provençal
1 entries- amaritúdina noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
French
2 entries- amertume noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- amertume noun (quality of feeling bitter)
Galician
4 entries- amargor noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- amargor noun (quality of feeling bitter)
- amargueza noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- amargueza noun (quality of feeling bitter)
Gallurese
1 entries- amalgura noun (quality of feeling bitter)
German
4 entries- Bitterkeit noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- Bitterkeit noun (quality of feeling bitter)
- Bitternis noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- Bitternis noun (quality of feeling bitter)
Gothic
2 entries- 𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍄𐍂𐌴𐌹 noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- 𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍄𐍂𐌴𐌹 noun (quality of feeling bitter)
Greek
2 entries- πίκρα noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- πίκρα noun (quality of feeling bitter)
Hebrew
3 entries- מרה noun (quality of feeling bitter)
- מרירות noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- מרירות noun (quality of feeling bitter)
Hungarian
2 entries- keserűség noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- keserűség noun (quality of feeling bitter)
Italian
2 entries- amarezza noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- amarezza noun (quality of feeling bitter)
Japanese
1 entries- 苦味 noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
Kapampangan
1 entries- pait noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
Korean
2 entries- 고미 noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- 쓴맛 noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
Latin
4 entries- acerbitās noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- amāritiēs noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- amāritās noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- amāritūdō noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
Lingala
1 entries- bololo noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
Macedonian
2 entries- горчина noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- горчина noun (quality of feeling bitter)
Malayalam
1 entries- കയ്പ്പ് noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
Norwegian Bokmål
2 entries- bitterhet noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- bitterhet noun (quality of feeling bitter)
Ottoman Turkish
1 entries- آجیلق noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
Plautdietsch
1 entries- Bettaniss noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
Polish
2 entries- gorycz noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- gorzkość noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
Portuguese
2 entries- amargura noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- amargura noun (quality of feeling bitter)
Romanian
3 entries- amăreală noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- amărăciune noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- fiere noun (quality of feeling bitter)
Russian
2 entries- го́речь noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- го́речь noun (quality of feeling bitter)
Sardinian
3 entries- amargura noun (quality of feeling bitter)
- aragòne noun (quality of feeling bitter)
- rangigùmene noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
Sassarese
1 entries- margùra noun (quality of feeling bitter)
Slovak
1 entries- horkosť noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
Spanish
4 entries- acíbar noun (quality of feeling bitter)
- amargo noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- amargor noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- amargura noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
Swedish
1 entries- bitterhet noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
Tagalog
1 entries- pait noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
Tausug
1 entries- pait noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
Telugu
1 entries- చేదు noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
Thai
1 entries- ความขม noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
Turkish
3 entries- acılık noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- burukluk noun (quality of feeling bitter)
- dargınlık noun (quality of feeling bitter)
Ukrainian
4 entries- гі́ркість noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- гі́ркість noun (quality of feeling bitter)
- гірко́та́ noun (quality of being bitter in taste)
- гірко́та́ noun (quality of feeling bitter)
Sample sentences
16 total sentences available.
She said good-bye with a smile, but there was a good deal of bitterness in her heart.
Source: tatoeba (315054)
There was a savour of bitterness in his voice.
Source: tatoeba (683559)
There was a savour of bitterness in her voice.
Source: tatoeba (683560)
Showing 4 of 16 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "bitterness"?
Closest matches include acrimony, resentment, acerbity, acridness, gall.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "bitterness"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.