idiom
A Bitter Pill to Swallow
a BIT-er pil to SWOL-oh
/ə ˈbɪtər pɪl tuː ˈswɒloʊ/Listen
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Syllable breakdown
abitterpilltoswallow
Dictionary meaning
An unwelcome fact, decision, or situation that must be accepted even though it is unpleasant
History and origin
From the literal experience of taking medicine that tastes unpleasant but is necessary for recovery; recorded since the 17th century
Examples
- Losing the contract after months of work was a bitter pill to swallow, but the team moved on.
- Accepting budget cuts to a beloved community programme was a bitter pill for the charity's trustees to swallow.
Synonyms: hard to accept, tough to take, unpleasant reality
People also look up
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