BITTER meaning: 1. Someone who is bitter is angry and unhappy because they cannot forget bad things that happened…. Learn more. Originally, numerous longstanding brands of bitters were developed as patent medicines, but today they are sold as digestifs, sometimes with herbal properties, and as cocktail flavorings. The meaning of BITTER is being, inducing, or marked by the one of the five basic taste sensations that is peculiarly acrid, astringent, and often disagreeable and characteristic of citrus peels, unsweetened cocoa, black coffee, mature leafy greens (such as kale or mustard), or ale. Synonyms for BITTER: angry, sore, cynical, embittered, resentful, acrimonious, acrid, rancorous; Antonyms of BITTER: sweet, warm, sympathetic, loving, gentle, kind, unbitter, forgiving 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). Define bitter. bitter synonyms, bitter pronunciation, bitter translation, English dictionary definition of bitter. adj. bit·ter·er , bit·ter·est 1. Having or being a taste that is sharp, acrid, and unpleasant. 2. Causing a sharply unpleasant, painful, or stinging. bitter (comparative more bitter or bitterer, superlative most bitter or bitterest) Having an acrid taste (usually from a basic substance). quotations The coffee tasted bitter. BITTER definition: 1. Someone who is bitter is angry and unhappy because they cannot forget bad things that happened…. Learn more. Look up bitter or bitterness in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Bitter. If an internal link incorrectly led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. 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).