Meaning: An unpleasant fact or situation that must be accepted
Hindi: कड़वी सच्चाई जिसे स्वीकार करना पड़े
Synonyms: hard truth, tough reality, unpleasant fact
Antonyms: welcome news, pleasant surprise
Asked in: SSC MTS 2025 · SSC Selection Post Ph-13 2025
bitter pill to swallow in SSC previous-year questions
- SSC MTS 2025 Idioms & Phrases
From the alternatives given below, select the correct meaning of the idiom.
Bitter pill to swallow.Answer & explanation
Answer: B) Something that is painful or hard to accept
Correct Answer: Option 2 — Something that is painful or hard to accept
"A bitter pill to swallow" means a situation, fact, or circumstance that is unpleasant, disappointing, or difficult to accept, even though one has no choice but to do so. The idiom compares accepting a difficult truth to the unpleasant act of swallowing a bitter medicine.
Why the other options are wrong:
Option 1 (turned easy to endure): The idiom implies difficulty, not ease — this is the opposite meaning.
Option 3 (unpleasant changed to appear appealing): This suggests disguising something — not the meaning of the idiom.
Option 4 (A calm composure): Completely unrelated to the idiom. - SSC Selection Post Ph-13 2025 Idioms & Phrases
Choose the correct meaning of the given idiom/phrase from the options:
"A bitter pill to swallow"Answer & explanation
Answer: B) A difficult truth to accept
The idiom 'A bitter pill to swallow' means an unpleasant fact or situation that one must accept.
Option 2 (A difficult truth to accept) is correct as it accurately conveys the idiomatic meaning.
Option 1 (A spicy food) is wrong because it is a literal misinterpretation.
Option 3 (A cure for disease) is wrong as it refers to actual medicine, not the figurative sense.
Option 4 (A happy surprise) is wrong because it is the opposite of an unpleasant truth.
Examples
- “Losing the championship was a bitter pill to swallow.”
bitter pill to swallow – questions
What is the meaning of bitter pill to swallow in Hindi?
bitter pill to swallow means “कड़वी सच्चाई जिसे स्वीकार करना पड़े” in Hindi. In English: An unpleasant fact or situation that must be accepted
What are the synonyms of bitter pill to swallow?
Synonyms of bitter pill to swallow: hard truth, tough reality, unpleasant fact.
What is the opposite of bitter pill to swallow?
Antonyms of bitter pill to swallow: welcome news, pleasant surprise.
Has bitter pill to swallow been asked in SSC exams?
Yes – bitter pill to swallow has been asked 2 times in SSC exams: SSC MTS 2025, SSC Selection Post Ph-13 2025.