bitter
Sharp on tongue
Bitter is one of the basic tastes—sharp, acrid, often unpleasant, like coffee without sugar or unsweetened chocolate.
The taste extends to emotional states: bitter disappointment, bitter resentment, a bitter enemy.
Someone bitter harbors lasting anger or grief: She grew bitter after the divorce.
Bitter cold is harsh and piercing.
A bitter pill is hard to accept.
In British usage, bitter is also a style of pale ale with a hoppy flavor.
Antimalarial alkaloid from bark
- grapefruitTangy citrus, often halved
- unsweetenedContains no sweetener
- cacaoTropical pod-bearing tree
- black coffeeUnadorned brewed beverage
tonic water · endive · kale · arugula · radicchio · escarole · dandelion greens · gentian
Persistent bitter displeasure
- grudgePersistent resentment toward someone
- animosityActive, bitter hostility
- hostilityAntagonistic disposition toward others
- spitePetty malicious intent
vengeance · grievance · indignation · acrimony · rancor · disillusionment · cynicism · regret
Sharp and biting
- causticChemically burning; bitterly mocking
- scathingSeverely and bitingly critical
- vitriolicHarshly bitter and corrosive
- sardonicGrimly mocking
mordant · cutting · harsh · sarcastic · biting · acrimonious · snide · barbed
Extremely cold
- bitingHarshly critical or cold
- piercingPenetrating or very sharp
- harshUnpleasantly severe or rough
- brutalSavagely harsh or severe
bone-chilling · frigid · icy · raw · cutting · severe · numbing · frostbite
quinine
Antimalarial alkaloid from bark
- grapefruitTangy citrus, often halved
- unsweetenedContains no sweetener
- cacaoTropical pod-bearing tree
black coffee · tonic water · endive · kale · arugula · radicchio · escarole · dandelion greens · gentian · wormwood
resentment
Persistent bitter displeasure
- grudgePersistent resentment toward someone
- animosityActive, bitter hostility
- hostilityAntagonistic disposition toward others
spite · vengeance · grievance · indignation · acrimony · rancor · disillusionment · cynicism · regret · disappointment
acerbic
Sharp and biting
- causticChemically burning; bitterly mocking
- scathingSeverely and bitingly critical
- vitriolicHarshly bitter and corrosive
sardonic · mordant · cutting · harsh · sarcastic · biting · acrimonious · snide · barbed · stinging
freezing
Extremely cold
brutal · bone-chilling · frigid · icy · raw · cutting · severe · numbing · frostbite · windchill
defeat
Victory over another
- lossBeing without something
- disappointmentSadness from unmet expectations
- failureLack of success
tragedy · downfall · ruin · demise · blow · setback · pill · irony · truth · reality
feud
Bitter ongoing rivalry
- rivalryOngoing contest between opponents
- disputeVerbal clash over differences
- struggleLabored effort against resistance
quarrel · acrimony · strife · enmity · battle · contest · enemy · foe · adversary · opponent
- adjectivesbig, urgent, amazing, temporary, bold
- tastesalty, taste, sour, sweet, spicy
- gastronomygastronomy, gourmet food, fine dining, tasting menu, degustation
- taste and smelltaste, smell, flavor, gustation, olfaction
- Cold Expressionsfreezing cold, bone-chilling, cold snap, cold spell, frigid
- cooking flawsburned, overcooked, undercooked, scorched, raw
- bitter coldExtremely low temperature
- bitter endUnpleasant but complete conclusion
- bitter pillDifficult thing to accept
- bitter tasteSharp, unpleasant flavor
- bitter revenge
- bitter pill to swallowUnwelcome truth requiring acceptance
bitterness, bitterly, embitter, bitters, bitterest, bittersweet, bittered, embittered, bittern