bitter
Other forms: bitterest; bitters; bitterer; bittered; bittering
If you usually drink your coffee with lots of cream and sugar in it, you might be surprised at how bitter plain black coffee can taste. Bitter means "having a sharp or harsh flavor."
Bitter describes a particular pungent taste, like the sharpness of very dark chocolate (which is sometimes called bittersweet for its mixture of the two flavors). If you imagine taking that bitter taste on your tongue and turning it into an emotion, you've got another meaning of bitter: a resentful, angry feeling. And if you turn that bitter flavor into a physical feeling, you've got an adjective that describes a sharp, unpleasant sensation, like a cold, bitter wind.
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causing a sharp and acrid taste experience;"quinine is bitter"synonyms:tastypleasing to the sense of taste
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the taste experience when quinine or coffee is taken into the mouthsynonyms: bitternesstype of:gustatory perception, gustatory sensation, taste, taste perception, taste sensationthe sensation that results when taste buds in the tongue and throat convey information about the chemical composition of a soluble stimulus
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the property of having a harsh unpleasant tastesynonyms: bitternesstype of:taste propertya property appreciated via the sense of taste
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make bittertype of:change tastealter the flavor of
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marked by strong resentment or cynicism“bitter about the divorce”synonyms: acrimoniousresentfulfull of or marked by resentment or indignant ill will
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harsh or corrosive in tone“bitter words”synonyms: acerb, acerbic, acid, acrid, astringent, blistering, caustic, sulfurous, sulphurous, virulent, vitriolicunpleasantdisagreeable to the senses, to the mind, or feelings
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proceeding from or exhibiting great hostility or animosity
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expressive of severe grief or regret“shed bitter tears”synonyms:sorrowfulexperiencing or marked by or expressing sorrow especially that associated with irreparable loss
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very difficult to accept or bear“the bitter truth”“a bitter sorrow”synonyms:
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causing a sharply painful or stinging sensation; used especially of cold
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extremely and sharply“bitter cold”synonyms: bitingly, bitterly, piercingly
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English term for a dry sharp-tasting ale with strong flavor of hops (usually on draft)type of:alea general name for beer made with a top fermenting yeast; in some of the United States an ale is (by law) a brew of more than 4% alcohol by volume
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Vocabulary lists containing bitter
On the SAT, all of the Reading Test questions are multiple choice and are based on reading passages that may be taken from literature, science, the social sciences, or a U.S. founding document (or a text inspired by such a document). Many of the reading comprehension questions meant to assess a student’s understanding of those passages will require students to choose words that best describe the writer’s tone or point of view, words like the 25 words you see on this list. Learn them here so when you see them in an SAT answer choice, you’ll know what they mean! Following our Roadmap to the SAT? Head back to see what else you should be learning this week.
On the ACT Reading Test, you will almost certainly encounter questions that ask about an author's tone — that is, the author's attitude toward their subject matter. Master our comprehensive collection of common words used to describe an author's tone, and you'll be well prepared to tackle these questions.
On the New SAT, all of the Reading Test questions are multiple choice and are based on reading passages that may be taken from literature, science, the social sciences, or a US founding document (or a text inspired by such a document). Many of the reading comprehension questions meant to assess a student’s understanding of those passages will require students to choose words that best describe the writer’s tone or point of view, words like the 200 words you see on this list. Learn them here so when you see them in an SAT answer choice, you’ll know what they mean! Here are all of our word lists to help you prepare for the new SAT (debuting March of 2016): The Language of the Test, Multiple-Meaning Words, and Words to Capture Tone.