bitter pill

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.

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

Liam Rosenior said Chelsea's failure to stay calm under pressure was a "bitter pill" as they blew a two-goal advantage in their 2-2 draw with Leeds on Tuesday.

From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026

It’s a bitter pill to swallow for Americans, especially younger generations that never have lived through a period of high inflation before.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 23, 2026

Given that Russia was at this point at the very vanguard of modernism it was a bitter pill to swallow, and understandably so.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall