a bitter pill to swallow

Register · Neutral Neutral — appropriate in most situations, both spoken and written, without sounding too casual or too stiff. CEFR C1

Post

Example

“Losing the top talent was a bitter pill to swallow.”

Dictionary details

Component words

bitter pill swallow

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

poison pill Neutral · CEFR C1

a defensive tactic a company uses to make a hostile takeover unattractive

come to terms with Neutral · CEFR B2

to gradually accept and emotionally deal with a difficult reality

easier said than done Neutral · CEFR B1

Something that sounds simple to do but is actually hard.

hang in there Informal · CEFR B1

to persevere and not give up despite difficulty

in a tight spot Informal · CEFR B1

in a difficult or dangerous situation

in hot water Informal · CEFR B1

In trouble or facing difficulty.

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

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