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.
He is giving you this money out of his own pocket because you are his sister and he understands that you have had to swallow a bitter pill.
From MarketWatch ● May 20, 2026
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
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
