{
    "term": "bitter",
    "partOfSpeech": "adjective",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "b2",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "having a strong, unpleasant taste; not sweet",
            "labels": "(figurative)",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Black coffee leaves a bitter taste in the mouth."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The drink tasted bitter."
                },
                {
                    "text": "This plant is ignored by livestock because of the bitter taste."
                },
                {
                    "text": "bitter chocolate"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The whole sorry affair had left a bitter taste in her mouth (= made her feel angry or unhappy)."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Cooking and eating"],
            "collocations": {
                "verbs": ["be", "taste"],
                "adverb": ["extremely", "fairly", "very"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "very serious and unpleasant, with a lot of anger and hate involved",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "a long and **bitter dispute**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "They are locked in a bitter custody battle over their three children."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The candidates are locked in an increasingly bitter struggle."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "feeling angry and unhappy because you feel that you have been treated unfairly",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She is very bitter about losing her job."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The company sounds pretty bitter about the experience."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I felt very bitter towards them."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She still seems bitter about it."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The divorce had left him bitter."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Feelings"],
            "collocations": {
                "verbs": ["be", "feel", "seem"],
                "adverb": ["extremely", "fairly", "very"],
                "preposition": ["about", "towards/​toward"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "making you feel very unhappy; caused by great unhappiness",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "to **weep/shed bitter tears**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Losing the match was **a bitter disappointment** for the team."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I've learnt from **bitter experience** not to trust what he says."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Loving relationships can turn bitter."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She bit her lip hard to stop the rush of bitter words."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 5,
            "definition": "extremely cold and unpleasant",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "bitter cold"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a bitter wind"
                },
                {
                    "text": "It's really bitter out today."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The weather turned bitter."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "verbs": ["be", "become", "turn"],
                "adverb": ["extremely", "fairly", "very"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "a fact or an event that is unpleasant and difficult to accept",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The election defeat was a bitter pill for the party to swallow."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "continuing until you have done everything you can, or until something is completely finished, despite difficulties and problems",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "They were prepared to fight to the bitter end for their rights."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We will fight this case to the bitter end."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈbɪtə(r)/",
                "audio": "bi/bitter/bitter__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈbɪtər/",
                "audio": "bi/bitter/bitter__us_3.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Old English biter, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German bitter, and probably to bite."
}