bister

English

Noun

bister (countable and uncountable, plural bisters)

1. Alternative spelling of bistre.

Anagrams

• bestir, Breits, Tribes, tribes, rebits, Bertis, bistre, biters, bitser, Sibert

Danish

Etymology

From Middle Low German bister.

Adjective

bister (neuter bistert, plural and definite singular attributive bistre)

1. fierce, gruff, cruel

   Synonym: brysk

Inflection

Inflection of bister

	positive	comparative	superlative
indefinite common singular	bister	—	—2
indefinite neuter singular	bistert	—	—2
plural	bistre	—	—2
definite attributive1	bistre	—	—

¹ When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite,
the corresponding "indefinite" form is used.
² The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively.

References

• “bister” in Den Danske Ordbog

North Frisian

Etymology

Possibly cognate with West Frisian bjuster (“unusual, strange”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈb̥ɪstɐ]

Adjective

bister (comparative bisterer, superlative bisterst)

1. (Sylt) angry

   Synonyms: ārig, wreer

Slovene

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *bystrъ. First attested in the 16th century.

Adjective

bíster (comparative bístrejši, superlative nȁjbístrejši)

1. clear (transparent)
2. smart, bright, sharp

Further reading

• “bister”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU (in Slovene), 2014–2026

Swedish

Judge Dredd har en mycket bister min [Judge Dredd has a very stern facial expression]

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Low German bister. Attested since 1665.

Adjective

bister (comparative bistrare, superlative bistrast)

1. (of a person, expression, or the like) serious and hard; grim, stern, etc.

   Rektorn satt med en bister min i rektorsexpeditionen när jag kom in

   The principal was sitting with a stern look on his face in the principal's office when I entered

   "Vi är körda", sa han bistert

   "We're screwed," he said grimly

2. grim, bitter, harsh (often of weather conditions and the like)

   den bistra kylan

   the bitter cold

   den bistra vintern

   the cold, harsh winter

   den bistra verkligheten

   the grim reality

   den bistra sanningen

   the bitter truth

   bistra tider

   hard times

Declension

Inflection of bister

Indefinite	positive	comparative	superlative1
common singular	bister	bistrare	bistrast
neuter singular	bistert	bistrare	bistrast
plural	bistra	bistrare	bistrast
masculine plural2	bistre	bistrare	bistrast
Definite	positive	comparative	superlative
masculine singular3	bistre	bistrare	bistraste
all	bistra	bistrare	bistraste

¹ The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative.
² Dated or archaic.
³ Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from French bistre. Attested since 1784.

Noun

bister n

1. bistre (pigment)

Declension

Declension of bister

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	bister	bisters
	definite	bistret	bistrets
plural	indefinite	—	—
	definite	—	—

References

• “bister”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
• “bister”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
• “bister”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)