take the bitter with the sweet
To accept positive things with negative things.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Life is not perfect, so you must take the bitter with the sweet.”
“Living in a big city is exciting, but you have to take the bitter with the sweet, like the high rent and the noise.”
“While the promotion offered a significant increase in salary and prestige, she knew she would have to take the bitter with the sweet, including the long hours and the added pressure.”
- 01
be taken ill
To become ill.
- 02
bitter end
The end of a long and difficult process.
- 03
cross to take up
Alternative form of cross to bear.
- 04
forget to take one's medication this morning
To be annoyed or irritable, or to behave in an ill-mannered way, particularly in the morning.
- 05
get taken in
To be fooled; to fall for.
- 06
give and take
A process of compromise or accommodation.
- 07
give someone an inch and someone will take a mile
Alternative form of give them an inch and they'll take a mile.
- 08
have one's name taken
To receive a yellow card.
Last updated August 10, 2026