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

It was a bitter pill to swallow for a young man who had spoken to AFP before the game about wanting to be an "all-time great" and to emulate his illustrious Patriots predecessor Tom Brady.

From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026

But adjusting to reality was a bitter pill for Andy to swallow.

From BBC • Jan. 30, 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