Apedia

Pill Swallow Hard Unpleasant In The Loop 052 Bitter/Hard Difficult Reality

Id in_the_loop_052
Idiom BITTER/HARD PILL TO SWALLOW
Definition a difficult or unpleasant reality to deal with
Examples
  1. John discovered the hard truth about responsibility. He didn’t get his college application in on time and the school won’t reconsider. It was a hard pill to swallow, but he had to learn the hard way.
  2. Jill thought she was a good singer. When her brother told her she was tone-deaf, it was a bitter pill to swallow.
Extra Info

The expression suggests something that, like a pill, is unpleasant but cannot be avoided.

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