1
as in hostility
a deep-seated ill will
he still harbored an implacable bitterness against the company that had fired him
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bite
a harsh or sharp quality
the bitterness of the coffee suggested that it had been reheated
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in chill
an uncomfortable degree of coolness
there's a bitterness in the air, so let's build a fire in the fireplace
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in severity
biting sharpness of feeling or expression
complained with great bitterness about the ill treatment he had always received
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bitterness
The state said Hollis was wrong for harboring bitterness toward him.
—
Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
In addition to the scallions, half a cup of whole parsley leaves adds a grassy depth and pleasant bitterness to this salad.
—Martha Stewart, 19 Apr. 2026
Just make sure to choose limes with slightly thinner skin for less bitterness.
—Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2026
Weeks after American Idol audiences booed her for giving honest feedback, Carrie Underwood responded not with bitterness but with blue boxes.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2026
Throughout this episode, Austin’s bitterness festers.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
Acidic liquids can tame that bitterness.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
After bitterness, a little sweetness is in order.
—Michelle Huneven, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Coel bites into the acerbic bitterness of that history in their early exchanges, with a vein of malice in questions supposedly intended to reveal who Mary has become and hence what kind of dress will feel true to her.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2026
Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
In addition to the scallions, half a cup of whole parsley leaves adds a grassy depth and pleasant bitterness to this salad.
—Martha Stewart, 19 Apr. 2026
Just make sure to choose limes with slightly thinner skin for less bitterness.
—Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2026
Weeks after American Idol audiences booed her for giving honest feedback, Carrie Underwood responded not with bitterness but with blue boxes.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2026
Throughout this episode, Austin’s bitterness festers.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
Acidic liquids can tame that bitterness.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
After bitterness, a little sweetness is in order.
—Michelle Huneven, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Coel bites into the acerbic bitterness of that history in their early exchanges, with a vein of malice in questions supposedly intended to reveal who Mary has become and hence what kind of dress will feel true to her.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bitterness
Noun
-
But the chancellor struggled to imagine how such an end of hostilities could be reached that would satisfy the White House.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The hostility to literature felt by some of the architects of the Red Scare is well established.—
Charlie Tyson,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Two Boys Fighting Over a Bladder (circa 1767–1770) suggests that the latter view has bite.—
Julian Bell,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The wing’s bark pairs with plenty of bite.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But pro-Palestinian activist Remah Naji said the ban had sent a chill through the local protest movement.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
This variety requires only 200 winter chill hours, meaning it can be grown anywhere in Southern California.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Despite the severity of the South Carolina outbreak, Edwards considers the public health response a success.—
Tanya Lewis,
Scientific American,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The actual severity of any shortcomings at OpenAI and how far any weaknesses could spread remain open questions, Yardeni said.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Brady didn’t appear to hold a grudge and could be seen laughing during the rest of Ross’ set.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Hannah Alline – Feral A man (Ethan Embry) with a grudge against women crashes a bachelorette party prepared to brutally kill everyone there.—
Richard Newby,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
On the eastern edge of the state, Sioux Falls is best known for Falls Park, where the Big Sioux River spills over wide stretches of pink quartzite rock.—
Midwest Living,
Midwest Living,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Rainwater tends to accumulate at the road edges.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But fights are just as integral to the Netflix show created by Lee Sung Jin, and the series’ sound team needed to do even more meticulous work building visceral senses of anger, stress, and dread that slowly swallow up the characters and steer them into making a compounding set of poor decisions.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
-
As Columbia, Rodriguez takes big, bold swings, shifting from manic exuberance to bruised vulnerability to feral anger over the course of the night.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In the centuries since colonists waged war against the crown, American’s attitudes toward the royals have shifted from hatred to adoration.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
But the War on Terror persisted and mutated into nightmares in Iraq and Afghanistan, and then Syria, which unleashed that darkness in the form of terrorist states and a refugee crisis that spread anti-Muslim and anti-migrant hatred to Europe, the United States, and beyond.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bitterness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bitterness. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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