# swallow a bitter pill

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/swallow-a-bitter-pill
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To accept or endure an unpleasant situation.

## Examples

- Losing the game was a bitter pill to swallow.
- After working so hard on the project, it was a bitter pill to swallow when the manager canceled it.
- The veteran politician had to swallow a bitter pill when the public rejected the very policy he had championed for decades.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.