bite the bullet
English
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bite the bullet
Where it comes from
Possibly from the reported practice of soldiers biting a bullet to avoid crying out in pain, usually during a medical procedure or punishment. See the Wikipedia article Bite the bullet for a further discussion of possible etymologies.
verb bites the bullet · biting the bullet · bit the bullet · bitten the bullet
- To accept a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed. The tenant was annoyed by the proposed rent increase, but the cost of moving would be even higher, so he bit the bullet and signed the new lease.
- To accept an undesirable or counterintuitive implication of an argument or view. With respect to the status of infants and those suffering from dementia, the critic might bite the bullet and just accept the fact that human dignity does not extend to them, or else argue that the fact that infants and those suffering mental breakdown are part of a species whose members typically p
Translations
Every language
verb accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed
| Español | hacer de tripas corazón |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 咬緊牙關 /咬紧牙关 yǎojǐnyáguān |
| हिन्दी | दाँत खट्टे करना dā̃t khaṭṭe karnā, कड़वी गोली खाना kaṛvī golī khānā |
| Français | serrer les dents, encaisser |
| Deutsch | in den sauren Apfel beißen |
| Italiano | ingoiare il rospo, fare buon viso a cattiva sorte |
| Русский | сти́снуть зу́бы stísnutʹ zúby |
Talk about this word "bite the bullet." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/bite%20the%20bullet. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. bite the bullet. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/bite%20the%20bullet "bite the bullet." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/bite%20the%20bullet.Cite this
@misc{bite_the_bullet_2026,
title = {bite the bullet},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/bite%20the%20bullet},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
