bitter having a strong sharp taste that is not sweet, like black coffee without sugar - used especially about chocolate, medicine etc:
The dessert is made with a slightly bitter chocolate. Hops give beer its distinctive bitter taste. The medicine tasted bitter. As the lettuce gets older, the leaves become more bitter.sharp having a taste that makes your tongue sting slightly:
Rhubarb has quite a sharp taste. The cheese has a pleasing colour and a pleasantly sharp flavour.sour having a usually unpleasant sharp acid taste, like the taste of a lemon, or a fruit that is not ready to be eaten – used especially about fruit, or about liquids that have gone bad:
Some people say that the purpose of the lemon’s sour taste is to stop the fruit being eaten by animals. Rachel sampled the wine. It was sour.acidic very sour – used especially about liquids or things made with fruits such as oranges, lemons, or grapes:
Some fruit juices taste a bit acidic.tangy having a taste that is pleasantly strong or sharp, and that often tastes a little sweet as well:
The ribs are cooked in a tangy barbecue sauce.tart having a taste that lacks sweetness – used especially about fruit such as apples, which you need to add sugar to:
The pudding had rather a tart flavour. The trees were covered with tart wild plums.spoil to have a bad effect on something so that it is much less attractive, enjoyable etc:
New housing developments are spoiling the countryside. The bad weather completely spoiled our holiday.ruin to spoil something completely and permanently:
Using harsh soap to wash your face can ruin your skin. The argument ruined the evening for me.mar written to spoil something by making it less attractive or enjoyable:
His handsome Arab features were marred by a long scar across his face. Outbreaks of fighting marred the New Year celebrations.detract from something to slightly spoil something that is generally very good, beautiful, or impressive:
The huge number of tourists rather detracts from the city’s appeal. There were a few minor irritations, but this did not detract from our enjoyment of the holiday.undermine to spoil something that you have been trying to achieve:
The bombings undermined several months of careful negotiations.poison to spoil a close relationship completely, so that people can no longer trust each other:
Their marriage was poisoned by a terrible dark secret.mess something up informal to spoil something important or something that has been carefully planned:
If there’s any delay, it will mess up our whole schedule. [TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲
spoil to have a bad effect on something so that it is much less attractive, enjoyable etc:
New housing developments are spoiling the countryside. The bad weather completely spoiled our holiday.ruin to spoil something completely and permanently:
Using harsh soap to wash your face can ruin your skin. The argument ruined the evening for me.mar written to spoil something by making it less attractive or enjoyable:
His handsome Arab features were marred by a long scar across his face. Outbreaks of fighting marred the New Year celebrations.detract from something to slightly spoil something that is generally very good, beautiful, or impressive:
The huge number of tourists rather detracts from the city’s appeal. There were a few minor irritations, but this did not detract from our enjoyment of the holiday.undermine to spoil something that you have been trying to achieve:
The bombings undermined several months of careful negotiations.sour to spoil a friendly relationship between people or countries:
The affair has soured relations between the UK and Russia.poison to spoil a close relationship completely, so that people can no longer trust each other:
Their marriage was poisoned by a terrible dark secret.mess something up informal to spoil something important or something that has been carefully planned:
If there’s any delay, it will mess up our whole schedule. [TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲