Idiom
bitter end
Meaning
The end of a long and difficult process.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“They fought to the bitter end to win the game.”
“Even though the project was failing, the team worked to the bitter end to finish their tasks.”
“Despite the overwhelming odds against their cause, the soldiers remained at their posts, determined to resist until the bitter end.”
Examples
simple
“They fought to the bitter end to win the game.”
contextual
“Even though the project was failing, the team worked to the bitter end to finish their tasks.”
complex
“Despite the overwhelming odds against their cause, the soldiers remained at their posts, determined to resist until the bitter end.”
Origin
The figurative usage is influenced by bitter (“unpleasant, arduous”). Indeed, the phrase has been reinterpreted by most today as bitter + end—compare bitter cold.
Key words
Related idioms
The word in film
Poster shown under fair use for identification and commentary.
Bitter End of a Sweet Night · 1961 · Drama
- Directed by:
- Yoshishige Yoshida
- Starring:
- Masahiko Tsugawa
In this 1961 Japanese drama, the title uses bitter end for the painful final stage of something that was once sweet. Yoshishige Yoshida directed the film.
In Literature
The Bitter End · 2024 · Fiction
- Author:
- Alexa Donne
In this 2024 young-adult thriller, teenagers are trapped in a remote ski cabin with a killer. The title uses bitter end for the painful last stage of a bad situation.
In Music
Cover shown under fair use for identification and commentary.
The Bitter End · 2003 · Alternative rock
- Artist:
- Placebo
- Album:
- Sleeping with Ghosts
Placebo's 2003 song uses bitter end for the painful final stage of something that has already failed, such as a relationship.
- Updated