bitter
Part of speech: adj
adv
noun
Morphological type: derivation
Topics: nautical
transport
Etymology: Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *bʰidrós
Proto-Germanic *bitraz
Proto-West Germanic *bitr
Old English biter
Middle English bittre
English bitter
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, West Frisian, Low German, Danish, Dutch, German, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish bitter, Icelandic bitur (all meaning “bitter”).
Base: bite
Affixes: -er
Inflected forms:
form: more bitter
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: bitterer
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: most bitter
pos: adj
tags: superlative
form: bitterest
pos: adj
tags: superlative
form: more bitter
pos: adv
tags: comparative
form: most bitter
pos: adv
tags: superlative
form: bitters
pos: noun
tags: plural
Senses:
gloss: Having an acrid taste (usually from a basic substance).
pos: adj
examples: The coffee tasted bitter.
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[…].
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.
gloss: Harsh, piercing, acerbic or stinging.
pos: adj
examples: It was at the end of February, […] when the world was cold, and a bitter wind howled down the moors […].
gloss: Hateful or hostile.
pos: adj
examples: They're bitter enemies.
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.
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.
Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
gloss: Cynical and resentful.
pos: adj
examples: I've been bitter ever since that defeat.
gloss: To an intense or severe degree; bitterly.
pos: adv
examples: A dynamic personality in the outfit, he met his death in the bitter-fought engagements in Venafro.
After that bitter-spoken warning, talk ceased outside […].
The dream of it ached, bitter and sharp, for that was all it was.
gloss: A liquid or powder, made from bitter herbs, used in mixed drinks or as a tonic.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: Thus I begin: "All is not gold that glitters,
"Pleasure seems sweet, but proves a glass of bitters.
gloss: A type of beer heavily flavored with hops.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
gloss: A turn of a cable about the bitts.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
Synonyms: acrid
caustic
acerb
acerbic
bitter
bittersome
sharp
English pale ale
EPA
Antonyms: optimistic
sweet
Related words: bitter end
bitterness
Derived words: bitter African daisy
bitter albizia
bitter almond
bitter aloes
bitter apple
bitter bark
bitter bean
bitter bolete
bitter bossie
bitter bracket
bitterbrush
bitter buchu
[pl=s
bitterbush
bitter cherry
bitter chocolate
bitter coco
bitter cornsalad
bittercress
bitter-cress
bitter cryptandra
bitter cucumber
bitter dock
bitter dogbane
bitter drumstick tree
bitter fleabane
bitter forest grape
bitterful
bitter funnel
bitter ganna
bitter gooseberry
bitter gourd
bitter grape
bitter herbs
bitter hickory
bitter hymenoxys
bitterish
bitter kambro
bitter karoo
bitter karree
bitter-leaf
bitter leaf
bitterless
bitter lettuce
bitterling
bitterly
bittermelon
bitter melon
bitter milkwort
bitter myrobalan
bitterness
bitter nightshade)
bitternut
bitter nutmeg
bitter orange
bitterorange
bitter oysterling
bitter panicgrass
bitter paramosage
bitter pea
bitter pecan
bitter pill
bitter pill to swallow
bitter pit
bitter poisonpie
bitter quandong
bitter ragwort
bitterroot
bitter rot
bitter scalewort
bittersharp
bitter snakewood
bitter sneezeweed
bittersome
bitter sorrel
bitter sow-thistle
bitter spar
bitter squash
bittersweet
bitter-sweet
bitter tea
bitter thistle
bitter tomato
bitter vetch
bitter vine
bitter waxcap
bitter webcap
bitterweed
bitter willow
bitter wintercress
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
bitter cold
best bitter
brought up to a bitter
cooking bitter
Mishmi bitter
session bitter
Translations: