embitter
UK: ɪmˈbɪtə | US: ɪmˈbɪtər
vt. to cause someone to feel bitter or resentful
vt. to make something more unpleasant or harsh
The word "embitter" combines the prefix "em-" (a variant of "en-," meaning "to make" or "cause to be") with the root "bitter," which originally referred to a sharp taste (Old English "biter") and later extended metaphorically to describe emotional resentment. The prefix "em-" was assimilated from "en-" before labial consonants like "b," a common phonetic shift in English. The word's evolution reflects the conceptual link between physical taste and emotional experience, where bitterness became synonymous with deep-seated resentment.
The unfair treatment only served to embitter the employees further.
Years of conflict had embittered the once-friendly neighbors.
His harsh criticism seemed designed to embitter her toward the project.
The defeat did not embitter him; instead, it motivated him to improve.
Poverty and neglect can embitter even the most optimistic individuals.