# bitter

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈbɪt.ə/ · frequency rank #5,008

## Definitions
1. Having an acrid taste (usually from a basic substance).
2. Harsh, piercing, acerbic or stinging.
3. Hateful or hostile.
4. Cynical and resentful.

## 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 bitter, West Frisian bitter, Low German bitter, Dutch bitter, German bitter, Swedish bitter, Icelandic bitur (all meaning “bitter”).

## Easily confused with
- **butte** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bitter-vs-butte)
- **bitty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bitter-vs-bitty)
- **butter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bitter-vs-butter)
- **bother** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bitter-vs-bother)
- **butler** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bitter-vs-butler)
- **buster** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bitter-vs-buster)
- **butted** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bitter-vs-butted)
- **blister** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bitter-vs-blister)
- **butters** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bitter-vs-butters)
- **buttery** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bitter-vs-buttery)
- **blatter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bitter-vs-blatter)
- **blitzer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bitter-vs-blitzer)
- **bitterly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bitter-vs-bitterly)
- **bite** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bite-vs-bitter)
- **bites** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bites-vs-bitter)
- **biker** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/biker-vs-bitter)
- **Bette** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bette-vs-bitter)
- **biter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/biter-vs-bitter)
- **better** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/better-vs-bitter)
- **bigger** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bigger-vs-bitter)

## Common misspellings (6)
`bbitter`, `bitetr`, `bitterr`, `bittre`, `btiter`, `ibtter`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/bitter