Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

ămārus, a, um, adj. [cf. ὠμός; Sanscr. āmas = raw, amlas = sour; Germ. Ampfer = sorrel, Curtius; cf. Heb. [??], mar = bitter], bitter (syn. acerbus).

  1. I. Lit., of tasto (opp. dulcis): absinthi latex, Lucr. 1, 941; 4, 15: amara atque aspera, id. 2, 404: sensusjudicat dulce, amarum, Cic. Fin. 2, 12; so id. N. D. 3, 13: salices, pungent, Verg. E. 1, 79: Doris amara, brackish, i. e. the sea, id. ib. 10, 5: os, bitter taste in the mouth, Cels. 1, 3: calices amariores, i. e. harsh wine, Cat. 27, 2: aquae amarissimae, Vulg. Num. 5, 18.
    1. B. Transf.
      1. 1. Of the hearing, rough, sharp, shrill (cf. acer): sonitus, Stat. Th. 10, 553, and,
      2. 2. Of smell, disagreeable, offensive: fructus amarus odore, Plin. 18, 12, 30, § 122.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. Calamitous, unpleasant, sad (mostly poet.): amara dies et nectis amarior umbra, Tib. 2, 4, 11: casus, Ov. Tr. 5, 4, 15; so, amara mors, Vulg. 1 Reg. 15, 32: amores dulces aut amari, Verg. E. 3, 110: amarissimae leges necessitatis, Val. Max. 7, 6: amaritudo mea amarissima, Vulg. Isa. 38, 17.
      Subst. plur., bitterness, bitter things: et amara laeto Temperet risu, Hor. C. 2, 16, 26: amara curarum, id. ib. 4, 12, 19.
    2. B. Of speech, bitter, biting, acrimonious, sarcastic, caustic, severe: dictis amaris, Ov. Tr. 3, 11, 31; so, scriptis, id. P. 4, 14, 37: hostis, Verg. A. 10, 900: sales, Quint. 10, 1, 117.
    3. C. Of conduct, morose, ill-natured, sour, irritable: mulieres, * Ter. Hec. 4, 4, 88: amariorem me senectus facit, Cic. Att. 14, 21.
      Adv., bitterly, in three forms:
        1. a. ămārē, Plaut. Truc. 1, 2, 78; Sen. Ben. 5, 23; Vulg. Isa. 22, 4; ib. Matt. 26, 75.
          Comp., Macr. Somn. Scip. 2, 1.
          Sup., Suet. Tib. 54.
        2. * b. ămā-rĭter, Hier. Ep. 23.
        3. c. ămārum, App. M. 6, p. 178, 26; Amm. 21, 9 fin.