difficult pill to swallow
Hard to accept
Something difficult to accept or come to terms with, especially unwelcome news or an unpleasant truth.
The image is of medicine that's hard to get down: Finding out I didn't get the promotion was a difficult pill to swallow.
Often shortened to hard to swallow or tough pill to swallow.
- unpleasantCausing discomfort or distaste
- harsh realityUncomfortable actual circumstances
- upsettingCausing emotional turmoil
- setbackReverse in progress
- challengingHard to accomplish
tough love · hardship · trial · loss · grief · rejection · realization · bitter medicine · betrayal · adversity · disappointment · denial · cold comfort · cure · medicine · criticism · ingestion · tribulation
difficult pill to swallowgood news
Favorable information received
pleasant surprise · breath of fresh air · relief · reassuring · palatable
difficult pill to swallowblessing
Prayer seeking divine favor
godsend · good news · stroke of luck · windfall · dream come true
difficult, difficulty, difficulties, difficultly, swallow, swallows, swallowed, swallowing, swallowable