Embitter
/ɪmˈbɪt.ər/noun
To make someone feel angry, resentful, or full of bitterness.
Did you know?Embitter is built from the same root as bitter itself, from Old English *biter*, a word originally tied to sharp, biting taste before it became a metaphor for resentment.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
biter
“sharp-tasting; biting; cutting”
Middle English
ME
embittren
“to make bitter; to irritate or provoke”
14th Century
English
embitteren
“to make bitter in taste or feeling”
Modern English
English
embitter
“to fill with bitterness or resentment”