embitter

English

WOTD – 24 November 2024

Etymology

From em- (variant of the suffix en- with the sense ‘to become’) +‎ bitter.^[1]

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪmˈbɪtə/, /ɛm-/
(General American) IPA^(key): /əmˈbɪtəɹ/, /ɛm-/, [-ɾəɹ]
Audio (General American): (file)
Rhymes: -ɪtə(ɹ)
Hyphenation: em‧bit‧ter

Verb

embitter (third-person singular simple present embitters, present participle embittering, simple past and past participle embittered) (transitive)

(archaic) To cause (something) to be or taste bitter; to bitter.
Synonym: acerbate
(figurative)
1. To cause (a positive quality such as happiness, or a thing such as an activity or one's life) to become less good or pleasurable; also, to make (a negative quality, or thing such as a disagreement) worse or more unpleasant.
  - 1642, Thomas Fuller, “The Good Herald”, in The Holy State, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] Roger Daniel for John Williams, […], →OCLC, book II, paragraph 2, page 142:
    He imbitters not a diſtaſtfull meſſage to a forrein Prince by his indiſcretion in delivering it.
  - a. 1678 (date written), Isaac Barrow, “Sermon XXXIX. Of Contentment.”, in The Works of Dr. Isaac Barrow. […], volume III, London: A[braham] J[ohn] Valpy, […], published 1831, →OCLC, page 50:
    [I]t is our fond conceits, our froward humors, our perverse behaviors, which do create the trouble, which seemeth adherent to any condition, and embittereth every state; which from any slight occasion doth create vexation, and turneth every event into disaster.
  - 1713 April 12 (Gregorian calendar), [Richard Steele], “Wednesday, April 1. 1713.”, in The Guardian, number 18, London: […] J[acob] Tonson […]; and sold by A. Baldwin […], →OCLC, page [1], column 1:
    The Proſpect of Death is ſo gloomy and diſmal, that if it vvere conſtantly before our Eyes, it vvould imbitter all the Svveets of Life.
  - 1759, [Samuel Johnson], “The Princess Persues Her Enquiry with More Diligence than Success”, in The Prince of Abissinia. A Tale. […], volume I, London: […] R[obert] and J[ames] Dodsley, […]; and W. Johnston, […], →OCLC, page 155:
    Their pleaſures, poor as they vvere, could not be preſerved pure, but vvere embittered by petty competitions and vvorthleſs emulation.
  - 1776, Edward Gibbon, “Of the Constitution of the Roman Empire, in the Age of the Antonines”, in The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Strahan; and T[homas] Cadell, […], →OCLC, page 80:
    A juſt, but melancholy reflection, embittered, hovvever, the nobleſt of human enjoyments.
  - 1790 November, Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France, and on the Proceedings in Certain Societies in London Relative to that Event. […], London: […] J[ames] Dodsley, […], →OCLC, pages 54–55:
    [T]hat monſtrous fiction, vvhich, by inſpiring falſe ideas and vain expectations into men deſtined to travel in the obſcure vvalk of laborious life, ſerves only to aggravate and imbitter that real inequality, vvhich it never can remove; […]
  - 1812, George [i.e., Georg] Joachim Zollikofer, “Sermon XIV. Caution against the Perversion of Truth: […]”, in William Tooke, transl., Sermons on Prevalent Errors and Vices, and on Various Other Topics; […], volume I, London: […] [John Nichols and Son] for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […], →OCLC, page 292:
    Thou offendest, thou injurest not God, indeed, when thou sinnest, o man, but thou offendest, thou injurest thyself; […] Thou embitterest to thyself the enjoyment of a thousand innocent pleasures, and bereavest thyself of the noblest, the purest joys.
  - 1820, [Walter Scott], chapter I, in The Abbot. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne & Co.] for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; and for Archibald Constable and Company, and John Ballantyne, […], →OCLC, page 4:
    Two circumstances only had embittered their union, which was otherwise as happy as mutual affection could render it.
  - 1838, [Edgar Allan Poe], chapter XII, in The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC, page 107:
    It is with extreme reluctance that I dwell upon the appalling scene which ensued; a scene which, with its minutest details, no after events have been able to efface in the slightest degree from my memory, and whose stern recollection will imbitter every future moment of my existence.
  - 1849, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter VI, in The History of England from the Accession of James II, volume II, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC, page 38:
    But his prosperity was embittered by one insupportable recollection. He never regained his cheerfulness, and at length died by his own hand.
  - 1857, David Livingstone, chapter XXXII, in Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa; […], London: John Murray, […], →OCLC, page 672:
    But my joy on reaching the east coast was sadly embittered by the news that Commander MacLune, of H. M. brigantine "Dart," on coming in to Kilimane to pick me up, had, with Lieutenant Woodruffe and five men, been lost on the bar.
2. To cause (someone or their feelings) to become more angry, resentful, or unfriendly; to envenom.
  - 1608, John Dod, Robert Cleaver, “Chapter XIII. [Vers[e] 10. Through mere pride doth man make contentions; but with the well aduised is wisedome.]”, in A Plaine and Familiar Exposition of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Chapters of the Prouerbs of Salomon, London: […] R. B[radock] for Roger Iackson, […], →OCLC, page 26:
    Sometimes it [pride] ſtirreth vp men, and imboldeneth them to offer vvrongs: ſometimes imbittereth men; and maketh them vvayvvard againſt the right: […]
  - 1634 September 1 (date delivered; Gregorian calendar), Robert Saunderson [i.e., Robert Sanderson], “The Second Sermon, (Being the Fourth Ad Clerum) Preached at the Metropoliticall Visitation Holden for the Most Reverend Father in God William [Laud] Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, at Grantham in the County and Diocesse of Lincolne 22. Aug. 1634”, in Two Sermons: […], London: […] M[iles] F[lesher] for R[obert] Dawlman and L[uke] Fawne […], published 1635, →OCLC, §. 13 (Contentions), page 72:
    And hovv farre the like cenſurings and deſpiſings have embittered the ſpirits, and vvhetted both the tongues and pens of learned men one againſt another in our ovvne Church; […]
  - 1681, Gilbert Burnet, “Of the Progress of These Things [Elections and Provisions of the Clergie] to the Time of the Council of Chalcedon”, in The History of the Rights of Princes in the Disposing of Ecclesiastical Benefices and Church-lands. […], London: […] John Darby, for Richard Chiswell, […], →OCLC, page 31:
    But tvvo things occaſioned great Contentions in them; The one vvas, the VVealth and Dignity of ſome Sees; the other vvas, the Heats that had been raiſed by the Arrian Hereſy, by vvhich Peoples minds vvere embittered one againſt another.
  - 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “The Sick-Room”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 155:
    She was at once humiliated and embittered; but the warm heart, and the strong mind, must have an object; and her energies, equally with her affections, had concentrated themselves on her son.

Conjugation

Conjugation of *embitter*
	present tense	past tense
infinitive	(to) embitter

1st-person singular	embitter	embittered
2nd-person singular	embitter, embitterest^†	embittered, embitteredst^†
3rd-person singular	embitters, embittereth^†	embittered
plural	embitter	embittered

subjunctive	embitter	embittered

imperative	embitter	—

participles	embittering	embittered

^† Archaic or obsolete.

Alternative forms

imbitter (obsolete)

Derived terms

Translations

to cause (something) to be or taste bitter — see bitter

to cause (a positive quality or a thing) to become less good or pleasurable; to make (a negative quality or thing) worse or more unpleasant

Finnish: katkeroittaa (fi)
Macedonian: please add this translation if you can

to cause (someone or their feelings) to become more angry, resentful, or unfriendly

Bulgarian: вгорчавам (bg) (vgorčavam)
Chinese:
Mandarin: please add this translation if you can
Esperanto: amarigi
Finnish: katkeroittaa (fi)
French: aigrir (fr)
Galician: picar (gl)
German: verbittern (de)
Ido: bitrigar (io)
Macedonian: please add this translation if you can
Māori: whakakawa, whakakawakawa, whakamauāhara
Portuguese: amargar (pt)
Quechua: hayay
Russian: наполня́ть го́речью impf (napolnjátʹ górečʹju), отравля́ть (ru) impf (otravljátʹ), отрави́ть (ru) pf (otravítʹ), озлобля́ть (ru) impf (ozlobljátʹ), озло́бить (ru) pf (ozlóbitʹ), раздража́ть (ru) impf (razdražátʹ), раздражи́ть (ru) pf (razdražítʹ)
Spanish: amargar (es)
Turkish: ekşitmek (tr)
Ukrainian: please add this translation if you can

References

^
^{The template Template:R:OED Online does not use the parameter(s): nodot=1
Please see Module:checkparams for help with this warning.}“embitter, v.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, July 2023.; “embitter, v.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

[1] {The template Template:R:OED Online does not use the parameter(s): nodot=1
Please see Module:checkparams for help with this warning.}“embitter, v.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, July 2023.; “embitter, v.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

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