imbitter

imbitter

English

Etymology

From im- +‎ bitter.

Verb

imbitter (third-person singular simple present imbitters, present participle imbittering, simple past and past participle imbittered)

1. Obsolete spelling of embitter [17th–19th c.]
   • 1776 Edward Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol I, ch 2—pt i:

     The superstition of the people was not imbittered by any mixture of theological rancor; nor was it confined by the chains of any speculative system.

   • 1825, Samuel Johnson, Dr. Johnson's Works: Life, Poems, and Tales, Volume 1‎:

     Their pleasures, poor as they were, could not be preserved pure, but were imbittered by petty competitions, and worthless emulation.

   • 1873, David Livingstone, Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa‎:

     But my joy on reaching the east coast was sadly imbittered by the news that Commander MacLune […] had, with Lieutenant Woodruffe and five men, been lost on the bar.

   • 1889, Theodore Roosevelt, The Winning of the West, Volume Four‎:

     Naturally the Tennesseeans, conscious that they had not wronged the Indians, and had scrupulously observed the treaty, grew imbittered over, the wanton Indian outrages.