# bitter
## English
### Pronunciation

* (UK) IPA: /ˈbɪtə(ɹ)/, [ˈbɪtʰə], (colloquially also) [ˈbɪʔə]
* (General American) IPA: /ˈbɪtɚ/, [ˈbɪɾɚ]
* Audio (US):(file)
* Homophone: bidder (in some dialects)
* Hyphenation: bit‧ter
* Rhymes: -ɪtə(ɹ)

### 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”).

#### Adjective

bitter (comparative more bitter or bitterer, superlative most bitter or bitterest)
* Having an acrid taste (usually from a basic substance).
    The coffee tasted bitter.
** 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter III, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:Long after his cigar burnt bitter, he sat with eyes fixed on the blaze. When the flames at last began to flicker and subside, his lids fluttered, then drooped; but he had lost all reckoning of time when he opened them again to find Miss Erroll in furs and ball-gown kneeling on the hearth […].
** 2018 May 16, Adam Rogers, “The Fundamental Nihilism of Yanny vs. Laurel”, in Wired:A few types of molecules get sensed by receptors on the tongue. Protons coming off of acids ping receptors for "sour." Sugars get received as "sweet." Bitter, salty, and the proteinaceous flavor umami all set off their own neural cascades.
* Harsh, piercing, acerbic or stinging.
** 1999, Neil Gaiman, Stardust, p.31 (Perennial paperback edition)
    It was at the end of February, […] when the world was cold, and a bitter wind howled down the moors […].
* Hateful or hostile.
    They're bitter enemies.
** 2022 October 1, Phil McNulty, “Arsenal 3-1 Tottenham: Gunners show identity & direction in outstanding derby win”, in BBC Sport‎:Tottenham have not won in the Premier League at Emirates Stadium for 12 years, with Arsenal losing just one of their last 29 home league games against their bitter rivals.
** 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:He inveighed against the folly of making oneself liable for the debts of others; vented many bitter execrations against the brother; and concluded with wishing something could be done for the unfortunate family.
** 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Colossians 3:19:Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
* Cynical and resentful.
    I've been bitter ever since that defeat.

##### Usage notes

* The one-word compared forms bitterer, bitterest are less common than their two-word counterparts more bitter and most bitter.

##### Synonyms

* acrid, caustic
* (cynical and resentful): jaded

##### Antonyms

* (antonym(s) of “cynical and resentful”): optimistic

##### Derived terms

* bitter almond
* bitter apple
* bitter bark
* bitter bean
* bitter bolete
* bitterbrush
* bitter buchu
* bitterbush
* bitter cold
* bittercress
* bitter-cress
* bitter cucumber
* bitterful
* bitter gourd
* bitter herbs
* bitterish
* bitterless
* bitterling
* bitterly
* bittermelon
* bitter melon
* bitterness
* bitternut
* bitter orange
* bitter panicgrass
* bitter pill
* bitter pill to swallow
* bitter pit
* bitterroot
* bitter rot
* bittersharp
* bittersome
* bitter spar
* bitter-sweet
* bittersweet
* bitter tomato
* bitter vetch
* bitterweed
* bitterwood
* bitterwort
* debitter
* debitterize
* embitter
* Great Bitter Lake
* imbitter
* mild and bitter
* nonbitter
* overbitter
* sugarcoat a bitter pill
* swallow a bitter pill
* take the bitter with the sweet
* unbitter

##### Descendants

* Sranan Tongo: bita

##### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

##### See also

* bitter end

#### Noun

bitter (countable and uncountable, plural bitters)
* (usually in the plural bitters) A liquid or powder, made from bitter herbs, used in mixed drinks or as a tonic.
** 1773, Oliver Goldsmith, She Stoops to Conquer:Thus I begin: "All is not gold that glitters, "Pleasure seems sweet, but proves a glass of bitters.
* A type of beer heavily flavored with hops.
* (nautical) A turn of a cable about the bitts.

##### Synonyms

* (beer): English pale ale, EPA

##### Derived terms

* best bitter
* brought up to a bitter
* Mishmi bitter
* session bitter

##### See also

Basic tastes in English (layout · text) :
| sweet | sour | salty | bitter | spicy | savory |

#### Verb

bitter (third-person singular simple present bitters, present participle bittering, simple past and past participle bittered)
* To make bitter.
** 1766, John Wilkinson, Tutamen Nauticum:bittered with the hop

##### Translations
### Etymology 2

From bit +‎ -er.

#### Noun

bitter (plural bitters)
* (computing, informal, in combination) A hardware system whose architecture is based around units of the specified number of bits (binary digits).
** 1983, Computerworld, volume 17, number 49, page 21: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.
** 1984, Electronic Business, volume 10, page 154:The company believes that the 32-bit market will almost equal that of 16-bitters by the end of the decade. Chip maker Zilog Inc., not a major player in the 16-bit arena, is even more bullish about 32-bitters as it readies its own version for market.

## Afrikaans
### Etymology

From Dutch bitter, from Middle Dutch bitter, from Old Dutch bitter, from Proto-West Germanic *bitr.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈbətər/

### Adjective

bitter (attributive bitter or bittere, comparative bitterder, superlative bitterste)
* bitter (having an acrid taste)
* very

#### See also

Basic tastes in Afrikaans · smake (layout · text) :
| soet | suur | sout | bitter | skerp | - |

## Danish
### Etymology 1

Borrowed from Middle Low German bitter.

#### Adjective

bitter
* bitter (all meanings)

##### Inflection

$^1$ When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite, the corresponding "indefinite" form is used. $^2$ The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively.

##### Related terms

* bitterhed
* forbitret

#### Noun

bitter c (singular definite bitteren, plural indefinite bittere)
* bitter (the liquid used in drinks)
* A bitter form of an aquavit

##### Inflection
### Etymology 2

Borrowed from English bitter.

#### Noun

bitter c
* bitter (type of beer - only known generally in Denmark for a few years)

## Dutch
### Etymology

From Middle Dutch bitter, from Old Dutch bitter, from Proto-West Germanic *bitr.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈbɪtər/
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: bit‧ter
* Rhymes: -ɪtər

### Adjective

bitter (comparative bitterder, superlative bitterst)
* bitter (having an acrid taste)
* bitter, embittered

#### Derived terms

* bitterheid
* bitterkoekje
* bitterzoet
* verbitteren

#### Descendants

* Afrikaans: bitter
* Negerhollands: bitter, better, bitu
* → Caribbean Hindustani: bitá
* → Saramaccan: bíta
* → Sranan Tongo: bita

#### See also

* (tastes) smaak; bitter, zoet, zout, zuur

### Noun

bitter m or n (plural bitters, diminutive bittertje n)
* bitters, a type of strong spirits made by steeping (often bitter) herbs in brandy or jenever, traditionally considered a digestive drink
    Synonym: kruidenbitter
    Zonder zijn gebruikelijke bittertje om vier uur voelde Opa zich niet lekker. ― Without his regular shot of bitter at four o'clock, Grandpa wouldn't feel well.

#### Usage notes

When used in a countable sense (a serving of bitter), the diminutive is the usual form.

#### Derived terms

* bitterbal
* bittergarnituur
* kruidenbitter
* oranjebitter

#### Descendants

* Afrikaans: bitter
* → Caribbean Hindustani: bitá
* → Catalan: bíter
* → Papiamentu: beter, bitter
* → Saramaccan: bíta
* → Sranan Tongo: bita

#### Further reading

* The article Bitters on Wikipedia

## Finnish
### Etymology

From English bitter.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈbiter/, [ˈbit̪e̞r]
* IPA: /ˈbitːer/, [ˈbit̪ːe̞r]
* Rhymes: -itːer
* Hyphenation: bit‧ter

### Noun

bitter
* bitter (type of beer)

#### Declension

Possessive forms of bitter (Kotus type 6/paperi, no gradation) :
first-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
bitterini
bitterini
accusative
nom.
bitterini
bitterini
gen.
bitterini
genitive
bitterini
bitterieni bittereideni bittereitteni
partitive
bitteriäni
bittereitäni bitterejäni
inessive
bitterissäni
bittereissäni
elative
bitteristäni
bittereistäni
illative
bitteriini
bittereihini
adessive
bitterilläni
bittereilläni
ablative
bitteriltäni
bittereiltäni
allative
bitterilleni
bittereilleni
essive
bitterinäni
bittereinäni
translative
bitterikseni
bittereikseni
abessive
bitterittäni
bittereittäni
instructive
comitative
—bittereineni
second-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
bitterisi
bitterisi
accusative
nom.
bitterisi
bitterisi
gen.
bitterisi
genitive
bitterisi
bitteriesi bittereidesi bittereittesi
partitive
bitteriäsi
bittereitäsi bitterejäsi
inessive
bitterissäsi
bittereissäsi
elative
bitteristäsi
bittereistäsi
illative
bitteriisi
bittereihisi
adessive
bitterilläsi
bittereilläsi
ablative
bitteriltäsi
bittereiltäsi
allative
bitterillesi
bittereillesi
essive
bitterinäsi
bittereinäsi
translative
bitteriksesi
bittereiksesi
abessive
bitterittäsi
bittereittäsi
instructive
comitative
—bittereinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
bitterimme
bitterimme
accusative
nom.
bitterimme
bitterimme
gen.
bitterimme
genitive
bitterimme
bitteriemme bittereidemme bittereittemme
partitive
bitteriämme
bittereitämme bitterejämme
inessive
bitterissämme
bittereissämme
elative
bitteristämme
bittereistämme
illative
bitteriimme
bittereihimme
adessive
bitterillämme
bittereillämme
ablative
bitteriltämme
bittereiltämme
allative
bitterillemme
bittereillemme
essive
bitterinämme
bittereinämme
translative
bitteriksemme
bittereiksemme
abessive
bitterittämme
bittereittämme
instructive
comitative
—bittereinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
bitterinne
bitterinne
accusative
nom.
bitterinne
bitterinne
gen.
bitterinne
genitive
bitterinne
bitterienne bittereidenne bittereittenne
partitive
bitteriänne
bittereitänne bitterejänne
inessive
bitterissänne
bittereissänne
elative
bitteristänne
bittereistänne
illative
bitteriinne
bittereihinne
adessive
bitterillänne
bittereillänne
ablative
bitteriltänne
bittereiltänne
allative
bitterillenne
bittereillenne
essive
bitterinänne
bittereinänne
translative
bitteriksenne
bittereiksenne
abessive
bitterittänne
bittereittänne
instructive
comitative
—bittereinenne
third-person possessor
singular
plural
nominative
bitterinsä
bitterinsä
accusative
nom.
bitterinsä
bitterinsä
gen.
bitterinsä
genitive
bitterinsä
bitteriensä bittereidensä bittereittensä
partitive
bitteriään bitteriänsä
bittereitään bitterejään bittereitänsä bitterejänsä
inessive
bitterissään bitterissänsä
bittereissään bittereissänsä
elative
bitteristään bitteristänsä
bittereistään bittereistänsä
illative
bitteriinsä
bittereihinsä
adessive
bitterillään bitterillänsä
bittereillään bittereillänsä
ablative
bitteriltään bitteriltänsä
bittereiltään bittereiltänsä
allative
bitterilleen bitterillensä
bittereilleen bittereillensä
essive
bitterinään bitterinänsä
bittereinään bittereinänsä
translative
bitterikseen bitteriksensä
bittereikseen bittereiksensä
abessive
bitterittään bitterittänsä
bittereittään bittereittänsä
instructive
comitative
—bittereineen bittereinensä :

### Further reading

* “bitter”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎ (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

## French
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /bi.te/
* Audio (Paris):(file)
* Audio:(file)

### Verb

bitter
* (transitive, slang) to understand, usually used in negative form and especially with rien
    Synonym: comprendre
    J’ai rien bitté au cours.I got nothing of the class

#### Conjugation
### Further reading

* “bitter”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

## German
### Etymology

From Middle High German bitter, pitter, from Old High German bittar, from Proto-West Germanic *bitr.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈbɪ.tɐ/
* Audio:(file)

### Adjective

* A user suggests that this German entry be cleaned up.
* Please see the discussion on Requests for cleanup or the talk page for more information and remove this template after the problem has been dealt with.
bitter (strong nominative masculine singular bitterer, comparative bitterer, superlative am bittersten)
* bitter

#### Coordinate terms

* (tastes) Geschmack; bitter, salzig, sauer, süß

#### Derived terms

* bitterkalt
* bittersüß
* Bitterkeit
* verbittern

#### See also

Basic tastes in German (layout · text) :
| süß | sauer | salzig | bitter | scharf | herzhaft |

### Adverb

bitter
* bitterly
    Synonym: verbittert

### Further reading

* “bitter” in Duden online
* “bitter” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
* “bitter” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.

## Italian
### Etymology

Pseudo-anglicism, a clipping of English bitters.

### Noun

bitter m (invariable)
* bitters

## Middle Dutch
### Etymology

From Old Dutch bitter, from Proto-West Germanic *bitr.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈbɪtːər/

### Adjective

bitter
* bitter (taste)
* sad, painful

#### Inflection

This adjective needs an inflection-table template.

#### Descendants

* Dutch: bitter
* Limburgish: bitter

### Further reading

* “bitter”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
* Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “bitter”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN

## Norwegian Bokmål
### Etymology

From Middle Low German bitter and Old Norse bitr.

### Adjective

bitter (neuter singular bittert, definite singular and plural bitre, comparative bitrere, indefinite superlative bitrest, definite superlative bitreste)
* bitter

#### Derived terms

* bitterhet

### References

* “bitter” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

## Norwegian Nynorsk
### Etymology

From Middle Low German bitter and Old Norse bitr.

### Adjective

bitter (neuter singular bittert, definite singular and plural bitre, comparative bitrare, indefinite superlative bitrast, definite superlative bitraste)
* bitter

### References

* “bitter” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

## Old Dutch
### Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *bitr, from Proto-Germanic *bitraz.

### Adjective

bitter
* bitter

#### Descendants

* Middle Dutch: bitter
** Dutch: bitter
** Limburgish: bitter

#### Further reading

* “bitter”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012

## Old English
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈbit.ter/

### Adjective

bitter
* Alternative form of biter

#### Declension
## Old High German
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈbit.ter/

### Adjective

bitter
* Alternative form of bittar

### References

* Joseph Wright, An Old High German Primer

## Swedish
### Etymology

From Old Norse bitr (partly through the influence of Middle Low German bitter), from Proto-Germanic *bitraz.

### Pronunciation

* Audio:(file)

### Adjective

bitter (comparative bittrare, superlative bittrast)
* bitter; having an acrid taste
* bitter; hateful
* bitter; resentful

#### Declension

$^1$ The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative. $^2$ Dated or archaic. $^3$ Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.

#### See also

* besk

### References

* bitter in Svensk ordbok (SO)
* bitter in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
* bitter in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

### Anagrams

* bittre