bite the bullet en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
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.
Meanings
-
(idiomatic) 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.
-
(rhetoric) 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 possess rationality merits them a special respect, even if they lack this quality as individuals.
2014 June 12, C. Stephen Evans, David Baggett, “Moral Arguments for the Existence of God”, in Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, archived from the original on 20 Apr 2026:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| bites the bullet | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| biting the bullet | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| bitten the bullet | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| bit the bullet | Tense=Past | lexicographic |
Relateds
bit between one's teeth · grit one's teeth · take it like a man · suck it up · take one's medicine
Translations (21)
pl zacisnąć zęby (accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed) · hi दाँत खट्टे करना (accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed) · ru сти́снуть зу́бы (accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed) · fr serrer les dents (accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed) · sv bita i det sura äpplet (accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed) · pl zaciskać zęby (accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed) · es hacer de tripas corazón (accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed) · is bíta í það súra epli (accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed) · nl door de zure appel heen bijten (accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed) · ca empassar-se el gripau (accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed) · no bite i det sure eple (accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed) · de in den sauren Apfel beißen (accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed) · sk zaťať zuby (accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed) · it fare buon viso a cattiva sorte (accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed) · fi purra hammasta (accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed) · it ingoiare il rospo (accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed) · th กัดฟัน (accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed) · fr encaisser (accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed) · cmn 咬緊牙關 /咬紧牙关 (accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed) · hi कड़वी गोली खाना (accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed) · da bide i det sure æble (accept or endure a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed)