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bitter pill

NOUN
something unavoidable and unpleasant
Synonyms


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He is giving you this money out of his own pocket because you are his sister and he understands that you have had to swallow a bitter pill.

From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026

These demands would be a bitter pill for Washington and its Gulf Arab allies to swallow.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

The Japanese considered the emperor to be divine, and a surrender was to admit his fallibility—a very bitter pill to swallow.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

For USC, it was an especially bitter pill to swallow, considering how well things had started.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2026

But even among poor whites, the collapse of slavery was a bitter pill.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander




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