bitter
/ˈbɪtə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbɪtər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbi-tər/ (ame, mw) · /ˈbɪt.ər/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbɪt̬.ɚ/ (ame, ipa)
bitter — 形容詞
1. having a strong, sharp flavour that is not sweet, like the taste of black coffee
苦的
味道強烈而不甜，像黑咖啡
having a strong, sharp flavour that is not sweet, like the taste of black coffee or dark chocolate without sugar.
Noa took one sip of the black coffee and made a face at how bitter it tasted.
Noa 喝了一口黑咖啡，立刻因為太苦而皺起臉。
predicative: taste + bitter
Noa warned the children that raw kale leaves taste quite bitter without any dressing.
Noa 提醒孩子們，生的羽衣甘藍葉如果不淋醬，吃起來會相當苦。
subject is a food item
The medicine left a bitter taste in Tomás's mouth for nearly an hour.
那帖藥讓 Tomás 嘴裡留下苦味，差不多持續了一個小時。
Camille added two spoons of sugar to soften the bitter flavour of the tea.
Camille 加了兩匙糖，想讓茶的苦味變得溫和一些。
Grandpa Tan loves bitter foods like grapefruit, green olives, and unsweetened dark chocolate.
Grandpa Tan 就愛吃苦的食物，像是葡萄柚、青橄欖和無糖的黑巧克力。
用法筆記
Common subjects are foods, drinks, and medicines. Often paired with the nouns 'taste', 'flavour', or 'aftertaste'.
常見錯誤
2. feeling angry and hurt for a long time because you believe you have been treated
怨恨的
對過去的不公長期懷恨在心
feeling angry and hurt for a long time because you believe you have been treated badly and cannot let it go.
Ten years after the divorce, Rohan is still bitter about losing the house.
離婚十年後，Rohan 對於失去那棟房子仍然憤恨難平。
bitter about + noun phrase
Tomás grew bitter when his younger sister was promoted ahead of him.
妹妹比他早升職，這件事讓 Tomás 心裡漸漸生出怨恨。
become/grow + bitter
Camille warned his daughter not to let one failed audition make her bitter about acting.
Camille 叮囑女兒，別讓一次試鏡失敗就讓她對演戲心懷怨懟。
Aunt Rosa sounded bitter as she described how her old friends had forgotten her.
Aunt Rosa 講起老朋友把她遺忘時，語氣裡滿是怨恨。
- resentful
very close in meaning; slightly more formal
- embittered
stronger; suggests the feeling has built up over years
文法句型
bitter about something
bitter at someone
用法筆記
Subject is normally a person. Distinguish from sense 3 (RESENTFUL, the inner feeling) versus sense 4 (HOSTILE, words/actions that show that feeling).
常見錯誤
3. describing an event, fact, or experience that brings deep sadness or pain and is
沉痛的
事件帶來強烈悲傷或失落
describing an event, fact, or experience that brings deep sadness or pain and is hard to accept.
Losing the championship in the final minute was a bitter blow for the whole team.
在最後一分鐘輸掉冠軍賽，對全隊來說是一記沉痛的打擊。
collocation: bitter blow
The closing of the family bakery was a bitter disappointment for Camille and his mother.
家族經營的麵包店歇業，對 Camille 和他母親來說是莫大的失落。
collocation: bitter disappointment
Noa learned a bitter lesson the day her best friend lied to her in court.
最好的朋友在法庭上對她說謊那天，Noa 學到了一個慘痛的教訓。
The truth about Tomás's father came as a bitter shock to the whole family.
Tomás 父親的真相曝光，對全家人來說都是沉痛的衝擊。
用法筆記
Almost always used attributively before nouns such as 'blow', 'disappointment', 'lesson', 'shock', 'truth', or 'experience'. Rarely predicative.
常見錯誤
4. showing strong hatred or anger through words, fights, or arguments between peopl
激烈敵對的
充滿仇恨與爭執的衝突
showing strong hatred or anger through words, fights, or arguments between people or groups.
The two political parties have been bitter enemies for over thirty years.
這兩個政黨已經當了三十多年的死對頭。
collocation: bitter enemies
A bitter argument broke out between Rohan and his brother at the dinner table.
Rohan 和哥哥在餐桌上爆發了一場激烈的爭吵。
collocation: bitter argument
The Lior family lawsuit ended after a long and bitter court battle that lasted four years.
Lior 家的官司，在歷經四年激烈訴訟之後才落幕。
The neighbours on Oak Street called the fence dispute the most bitter quarrel they had ever seen.
Oak Street 上的鄰居說，那場圍牆糾紛是他們見過最激烈的一次爭執。
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2: sense 4 modifies the visible conflict (an 'argument', 'rivalry', 'feud'); sense 2 modifies the person carrying the inner hurt.
常見錯誤
5. describing weather or wind that is so cold it actually hurts your face, hands, o
刺骨寒冷的
冷到讓臉與手感到疼痛
describing weather or wind that is so cold it actually hurts your face, hands, or ears.
A bitter wind blew off the lake and stung the children's cheeks as they walked to school.
從湖面吹來的刺骨冷風，吹得孩子們上學時臉頰發疼。
collocation: bitter wind
Rohan pulled his scarf tighter against the bitter January air.
Rohan 把圍巾拉得更緊，抵擋一月那刺骨的空氣。
attributive: bitter + weather noun
It was bitter on the mountain that morning, well below minus ten.
那天早上山上極為刺骨，氣溫遠低於零下十度。
The hikers turned back when the bitter cold made their fingers go numb.
刺骨的寒意讓登山客的手指失去知覺，他們只好折返。
用法筆記
Subjects are typically 'wind', 'cold', 'weather', 'winter', or the impersonal 'it'. The adverb form 'bitterly' is common with 'cold' (see adverb sense).
常見錯誤
bitter — 名詞
1. a dark brown English beer with a strong, slightly sharp flavour, served from a t
苦啤酒
英式深棕色生啤，味道偏苦
a dark brown English beer with a strong, slightly sharp flavour, served from a tap in pubs.
Dad ordered a pint of bitter at the village pub after the long walk.
走了一大段路之後，爸爸在村裡的酒吧點了一品脫的苦啤酒。
collocation: a pint of bitter
The barman pulled two glasses of bitter for the men sitting by the window.
酒保替坐在窗邊的兩位男士各倒了一杯苦啤酒。
collocation: glass of bitter
The Red Lion in our village still serves a good local bitter on draught every evening.
我們村裡的 Red Lion 酒吧，每天晚上還是會提供當地釀的生苦啤酒。
Rohan prefers a cold lager, but his grandfather only drinks bitter.
Rohan 比較喜歡冰拉格，不過他爺爺只喝苦啤酒。
文法句型
a pint of bitter
用法筆記
Mainly British English. Often uncountable when referring to the drink type, countable ('a bitter') when ordering a glass at a pub.
常見錯誤
2. a strong alcoholic liquid made from herbs and spices, added in small drops to co
苦精
用香草香料製的調酒風味劑
a strong alcoholic liquid made from herbs and spices, added in small drops to cocktails to give a sharp flavour.
The bartender added a few drops of bitters to the old fashioned cocktail.
酒保在那杯 Old Fashioned 裡滴了幾滴苦精。
collocation: drops of bitters
At the hotel bar, Rohan reached for the Angostura bitters to finish the Manhattan.
在飯店的酒吧裡，Rohan 拿起 Angostura 苦精，替那杯 Manhattan 收尾。
attributive: brand of bitters
A small dash of orange bitters made the gin and tonic taste much better.
在琴湯尼裡加一點橙味苦精，整杯酒的味道就好上許多。
Tomás keeps a small bottle of herbal bitters on the top shelf for cocktail nights.
Tomás 把一小瓶香草苦精放在最上層的櫃子，留著調酒之夜用。
- tonic
old-fashioned use for a similar herbal drink, though tonic today usually means tonic water
文法句型
a dash of bitters
用法筆記
Almost always used in the plural form 'bitters'. In bar contexts, treat it as a flavouring, not a drink on its own.
常見錯誤
bitter — 動詞
1. to give something a sharp, unpleasant flavour, or to fill someone with lasting a
使苦；使怨
使味道變苦或使人心生怨懟
to give something a sharp, unpleasant flavour, or to fill someone with lasting anger and hurt.
Adding too many hops bittered the ale and ruined the brewer's whole afternoon batch.
啤酒花加太多，使這批麥酒變得苦澀，毀了釀酒師整個下午的成果。
literal: object is a food/drink
Years of unfair treatment had bittered Aunt Rosa against the whole company.
多年來受到不公平的對待，讓 Aunt Rosa 對整間公司心懷怨恨。
figurative: bitter someone against
The long inheritance dispute bittered the relationship between Rohan and his younger brother forever.
那場漫長的遺產糾紛，使 Rohan 和他弟弟的感情從此蒙上怨懟。
Years of unfair pay reviews had bittered Camille against the entire management team.
多年不公的調薪考核，讓 Camille 對整個管理階層心生怨恨。
- sweeten
for taste; also used figuratively of moods
文法句型
bitter + object
用法筆記
Rare in modern English; the form 'embitter' is far more common for the figurative sense. Only use 'bitter' as a verb in formal or literary writing.
常見錯誤
bitter — 副詞
1. to a sharp, painful, or severe degree — a poetic or older form of the modern adv
痛苦地
古語或詩語：強烈而痛苦地
to a sharp, painful, or severe degree — a poetic or older form of the modern adverb 'bitterly'.
All night the wind blew bitter across the moor and rattled the cottage shutters.
整夜寒風刺骨地颳過荒原，把小屋的窗板震得作響。
literary: blow + bitter (= bitterly)
Rohan mourned bitter the loss of his hunting dog in the empty stone house.
Rohan 在那棟空蕩的石屋裡，痛切地哀悼失去的獵犬。
literary: mourn + bitter (= bitterly)
The old soldier wept bitter at the graveside for friends lost at sea.
那名老兵在墓前痛切地哭泣，悼念葬身大海的戰友。
The widow's voice rang bitter as she remembered the day her husband marched to war.
那位寡婦回憶起丈夫出征那天，聲音裡滿是痛切的悲傷。
- sweetly
the figurative opposite, also somewhat literary
用法筆記
Almost only seen in poetry, hymns, and older literature. In everyday writing, replace it with the adverb 'bitterly'.