BITTER: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for BITTER?

Need another word that means the same as “bitter”? Find 89 synonyms and 30 related words for “bitter” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Bitter” are: biting, acerb, acerbic, acid, acrid, blistering, caustic, sulfurous, sulphurous, virulent, vitriolic, acrimonious, sharp, acidic, pungent, tart, sour, harsh, unsweetened, vinegary, acetous, resentful, embittered, aggrieved, dissatisfied, disgruntled, discontented, grudging, begrudging, indignant, rancorous, splenetic, spiteful, jaundiced, sullen, churlish, morose, petulant, peevish, angry, vindictive, vicious, savage, hostile, ferocious, scathing, antagonistic, venomous, poisonous, bilious, nasty, ill-natured, malign, choleric, painful, unpleasant, disagreeable, cruel, awful, distressing, disquieting, disturbing, upsetting, harrowing, heartbreaking, agonizing, unhappy, miserable, wretched, sad, poignant, grievous, traumatic, tragic, chilling, mortifying, galling, vexatious, freezing, icy, arctic, glacial, frosty, frigid, chilly, bitterness, bitingly, bitterly, piercingly

Bitter as a Noun

Definitions of "Bitter" as a noun

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “bitter” as a noun can have the following definitions:

• The property of having a harsh unpleasant taste.
• Alcohol flavoured with bitter plant extracts, used as an additive in cocktails or as a medicinal substance to promote appetite or digestion.
• Beer that is strongly flavoured with hops and has a bitter taste, brewed by top fermentation.
• The taste experience when quinine or coffee is taken into the mouth.
• English term for a dry sharp-tasting ale with strong flavor of hops (usually on draft.

Synonyms of "Bitter" as a noun (1 Word)

bitterness

A feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will. He expressed bitterness over his dismissal without notice.

Usage Examples of "Bitter" as a noun

• A dash of bitters.
• A pint of bitter.
• The company brews a range of bitters.

Bitter as an Adjective

Definitions of "Bitter" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “bitter” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• Marked by strong resentment or cynicism.
• Having a sharp, pungent taste or smell; not sweet.
• Proceeding from or exhibiting great hostility or animosity.
• Causing a sharp and acrid taste experience.
• (of chocolate) dark and unsweetened.
• Feeling or showing anger, hurt, or resentment because of bad experiences or a sense of unjust treatment.
• Causing a sharply painful or stinging sensation; used especially of cold.
• Harsh or corrosive in tone.
• (of a conflict, argument, or opponent) full of anger and acrimony.
• Very difficult to accept or bear.
• Expressive of severe grief or regret.
• (of wind or weather) intensely cold.
• Painful or unpleasant to accept or contemplate.

Synonyms of "Bitter" as an adjective (85 Words)

acerb	Harsh or corrosive in tone. Dry acerb literate satire.
acerbic	Sour or bitter in taste. His acerbic wit.
acetous	Producing or resembling vinegar. Acetous fermentation.
acid	Containing acid or having the properties of an acid having a pH of less than 7. The acid Bessemer process.
acidic	(of rock, especially lava) relatively rich in silica. Acidic granite batholiths.
acrid	Harsh or corrosive in tone. The acrid smell of burning rubber.
acrimonious	Marked by strong resentment or cynicism. An acrimonious dispute about wages.
aggrieved	Feeling resentment at having been unfairly treated. They were aggrieved at the outcome.
agonizing	Extremely painful. There is an agonizing choice to make.
angry	Feeling or showing strong annoyance, displeasure, or hostility; full of anger. The bruise below his eye looked angry and sore.
antagonistic	Showing or feeling active opposition or hostility towards someone or something. An antagonistic group of bystanders.
arctic	Of or relating to the Arctic. An arctic climate.
awful	Extremely shocking; horrific. An awful speech.
begrudging	Given reluctantly or resentfully. Begrudging admiration from a rival.
bilious	Affected by or associated with nausea or vomiting. A bilious yellow hue.
biting	Causing a sharply painful or stinging sensation; used especially of cold. A biting wind.
blistering	Very fast; capable of quick response and great speed. Blistering sun.
caustic	Harsh or corrosive in tone. A caustic cleaner.
chilling	Horrifying or frightening. A chilling account of the prisoners fate.
chilly	Not characterized by emotion. A female form in marble a chilly but ideal medium for depicting abstract virtues.
choleric	(in medieval medicine) having choler as the predominant bodily humour. A choleric outburst.
churlish	Rude and boorish. It seems churlish to complain.
cruel	Causing pain or suffering. Cruel tortures.
disagreeable	Unfriendly and bad-tempered. Aspects of his work are disagreeable to him.
discontented	Showing or experiencing dissatisfaction or restless longing. Was discontented with his position.
disgruntled	In a state of sulky dissatisfaction. Judges receive letters from disgruntled members of the public.
disquieting	Causing mental discomfort. He found Jean s gaze disquieting.
dissatisfied	In a state of sulky dissatisfaction. Dissatisfied customers.
distressing	Causing anxiety, sorrow or pain; upsetting. Distressing or disturbing news.
disturbing	Causing anxiety; worrying. A disturbing amount of crime.
embittered	Angry or resentful at having been treated unfairly. He died an embittered man.
ferocious	Very great; extreme. A ferocious beast.
freezing	(used hyperbolically) very cold. He was freezing and miserable.
frigid	Sexually unresponsive. A frigid greeting.
frosty	Pleasantly cold and invigorating. The dog crouched in the frosty grass.
galling	Causing annoyance or resentment; annoying. It would be galling to lose your job because of a dispute with a customer.
glacial	Extremely slow (like the movement of a glacier. His glacial blue eyes.
grievous	Causing or marked by grief or anguish. A grievous fault.
grudging	Of especially an attitude. Grudging acceptance of his opponent s victory.
harrowing	Acutely distressing. It was a harrowing experience.
harsh	Disagreeable to the senses. A harsh penalty.
heartbreaking	Causing or marked by grief or anguish. It would be heartbreaking to see it all collapse.
hostile	Of or belonging to a military enemy. A hostile audience.
icy	Covered with or containing or consisting of ice. Icy hands.
ill-natured	Having an irritable and unpleasant disposition.
indignant	Angered at something unjust or wrong. He was indignant at being the object of suspicion.
jaundiced	Affected by jaundice which causes yellowing of skin etc. Looked with a jaundiced eye on the growth of regimentation.
malign	Of a disease malignant. Believed in witches and malign spirits.
miserable	(of a person) wretchedly unhappy or uncomfortable. All they pay me is a miserable 8 000 a year.
morose	Sullen and ill-tempered. A morose and unsociable manner.
mortifying	Causing awareness of your shortcomings. It was mortifying to know he had heard every word.
nasty	Characterized by obscenity. Will he say nasty things at my funeral.
painful	Causing physical pain. Her ankle was very painful.
peevish	Having or showing an irritable disposition. A thin peevish voice.
petulant	(of a person or their manner) childishly sulky or bad-tempered. A petulant shake of the head.
poignant	Arousing affect. Poignant grief cannot endure forever.
poisonous	(of an animal) producing poison as a means of attacking enemies or prey; venomous. Poisonous hate.
pungent	Having a sharply strong taste or smell. The pungent taste of radishes.
rancorous	Characterized by bitterness or resentment. Sixteen miserable months of rancorous disputes.
resentful	Feeling or expressing bitterness or indignation at having been treated unfairly. Resentful at the way he was treated.
sad	Of things that make you feel sad. The show is tongue in cheek anyone who takes it seriously is a bit sad.
savage	(of a person or group) primitive and uncivilized. A savage attack on the government.
scathing	Marked by harshly abusive criticism. She launched a scathing attack on the Prime Minister.
sharp	Ending in a sharp point. The scene was as sharp and clear in his mind as a film.
sour	Having a sharp biting taste. Her breath was always sour.
spiteful	Showing malicious ill will and a desire to hurt; motivated by spite. The teachers made spiteful little jokes about me.
splenetic	Of or relating to the spleen. A splenetic rant.
sulfurous	Characterized by oppressive heat and humidity. The sulfurous atmosphere preceding a thunderstorm.
sullen	Showing a brooding ill humor- Bruce Bli. A sullen sunless sky.
sulphurous	(chiefly of vapour) containing or derived from sulphur. A sulphurous glance.
tragic	Of or relating to or characteristic of tragedy. A tragic accident.
traumatic	Psychologically painful. Few experiences are more traumatic than losing a child.
unhappy	Not satisfied or pleased with (a situation. An unhappy marriage.
unpleasant	Causing discomfort, unhappiness, or revulsion; disagreeable. When drunk he could become very unpleasant.
unsweetened	Not made sweet. Unsweetened grapefruit juice.
upsetting	Causing an emotional disturbance- Herb Caen. An upsetting experience.
venomous	(of a person or their behaviour) full of malice or spite. The critics weren t just harsh they were venomous.
vexatious	Causing irritation or annoyance. A vexatious child.
vicious	(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering. The dog was vicious and likely to bite.
vindictive	Disposed to seek revenge or intended for revenge- Shakespeare- M.R.Cohen. A vindictive man will look for occasions for resentment.
vinegary	Having a sour disposition; ill-tempered. Onions in a sharp vinegary sauce.
virulent	Harsh or corrosive in tone. A virulent insect bite.
vitriolic	Filled with bitter criticism or malice. Vitriolic outbursts.
wretched	Used to express anger or annoyance. Wretched prisoners huddled in stinking cages.

Usage Examples of "Bitter" as an adjective

• Raw berries have an intensely bitter flavour.
• A bitter struggle.
• Today's decision has come as a bitter blow.
• A bitter five-year legal battle.
• Bitter cold.
• A bitter sorrow.
• Bitter enemies.
• She knew from bitter experience how treacherous such feelings could be.
• A bitter February night.
• Quinine is bitter.
• She wept bitter tears of self-reproach.
• Bitter about the divorce.
• Bitter words.
• The bitter truth.
• Shed bitter tears.
• I don't feel jealous or bitter.

Bitter as an Adverb

Definitions of "Bitter" as an adverb

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “bitter” as an adverb can have the following definitions:

• Extremely and sharply.

Synonyms of "Bitter" as an adverb (3 Words)

bitingly	Extremely and sharply.
bitterly	(relating to wind or weather) to an intensely cold degree. Its humour is cutting and bitterly sarcastic.
piercingly	Extremely and sharply.

Usage Examples of "Bitter" as an adverb

• It was bitterly cold.
• Bitter cold.

Associations of "Bitter" (30 Words)

acerbic	(especially of a comment or style of speaking) sharp and forthright. His acerbic wit.
acerbity	Sharpness and directness in speech. Exuberance sharpened by blunt wit and acerbity.
aching	A dull persistent (usually moderately intense) pain. My aching head.
acrid	Harsh or corrosive in tone. The acrid smell of burning rubber.
acrimonious	Marked by strong resentment or cynicism. An acrimonious dispute about wages.
awful	Awfully very. An awful voice.
biting	(of insects and certain other animals) able to wound the skin with a sting or fangs. A biting aphorism.
bitterness	Anger and disappointment at being treated unfairly; resentment. He expressed bitterness over his dismissal without notice.
denouncement	A public act of denouncing.
denunciation	The action of informing against someone. A denunciation of the bombing.
diatribe	Thunderous verbal attack. A diatribe against consumerism.
erosive	Wearing away by friction. The erosive effects of waves on the shoreline.
feud	Carry out a feud. The two professors have been feuding for years.
harsh	(of reality or a fact) grim and unpalatable. The harsh realities of the world news.
indignant	Feeling or showing anger or annoyance at what is perceived as unfair treatment. He was indignant at being the object of suspicion.
malicious	Having the nature of or resulting from malice. Malicious gossip.
mordant	Impregnate or treat a fabric with a mordant. Mordanting a fibre is simple.
painful	(of a part of the body) affected with pain. The painful process of growing up.
piquant	Pleasantly stimulating or exciting to the mind. A piquant wit.
poignancy	A state of deeply felt distress or sorrow. A moment of extraordinary poignancy.
pungent	Having a sharply strong taste or smell. The pungent smell of frying onions.
rage	An interest followed with exaggerated zeal. She couldn t hide the fear that raged within her.
rancorous	Showing deep-seated resentment. Sixteen miserable months of rancorous disputes.
resentful	Full of or marked by resentment or indignant ill will. He was angry and resentful of their intrusion.
resentment	Bitter indignation at having been treated unfairly. Some people harbour resentments going back many years.
sour	Go sour or spoil. He gave her a sour look.
stench	A strong and very unpleasant smell. The stench of rotting fish.
terrible	Extreme in degree or extent or amount or impact. The terrible conditions in which the ordinary people lived.
unsparing	Merciless; severe. An unsparing critic.
vitriolic	Of a substance, especially a strong acid; capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action. Vitriolic attacks on the politicians.