embitter
UK[ɪmˈbɪtə(r)]US[ɪmˈbɪtər]
v
To make someone feel bitter or resentful.
v
To make something more bitter in taste.
Morpheme Breakdown
em
bitter
em
cause to be
bitter
sharp taste/resentment
Etymology
The word 'embitter' is a relatively modern English formation, constructed by combining the causative prefix 'em-' with the established adjective 'bitter'. The prefix 'em-', derived from Latin 'in-' via Old French, functions to transform the state described by the root into a verb of causation. The root 'bitter' originates from the Old English 'biter', which is related to the Proto-Germanic 'bitraz' and ultimately to the Proto-Indo-European root 'bheid-', meaning 'to split' or 'to bite', a metaphor for a sharp, cutting sensation. Thus, the literal construction 'to cause to be bitter' evolved seamlessly from describing the act of making a food taste acrid to the figurative and more common modern meaning of fostering feelings of deep resentment and acrimony in a person.
Analysis
Structure: em (cause to be) + bitter (sharp taste/resentment)
em: A prefix of Latin origin (via Old French), a variant of 'en-', used to form verbs meaning 'to put into', 'to cause to be'.
bitter: An adjective of Old English origin (biter), describing a sharp, pungent taste or a feeling of intense resentment and disappointment.
Examples
The long and unfair legal battle served only to embitter him further.
Adding the citrus peel will slightly embitter the sauce.
She was careful not to let the failure embitter her outlook on future opportunities.