bitter pill to swallow

== English == === Pronunciation === === Noun === bitter pill to swallow (plural bitter pills to swallow) (figurative) Something unpleasant that must be accepted or endured. Synonyms: bitter pill (ellipsis), difficult pill to swallow, hard pill to swallow, tough pill to swallow Hypernym: pill to swallow Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see bitter pill,‎ swallow. ==== Usage notes ==== Bitter pill(s) to swallow is not a set phrase. Only a little more than 40% of the usage at COCA with a form of swallow within nine words before or after is of the form given. Other verbs such as take, down, and digest may replace swallow. About one third of the time bitter pill appears without any such verb nearby. Other adjectives modify pill about 60% of the time: hard, tough, bad, difficult, even easy. ==== Related terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === See also ===