n.
- 藥丸,藥片[C]
She had to take sleeping
pills every night.
她每天夜裡都得服安眠藥。
- (有時大寫)【美】【口】(女用)口服避孕藥[the S]
- 無法避免的討厭事,屈辱事[C][S1]
The defeat was a bitter
pill.
這次失敗是一個屈辱。
- 【俚】討厭的傢伙[C][S1]
- 【俚】炸彈,砲彈,子彈;棒球,網球[C]
vt.
- 把……製成丸劑(或片劑)
- 使服用藥丸(或藥片)
- 【俚】投票反對
片語
bitter pill to swallow
- 不得不忍受的苦事
It was really a
bitter pill to swallow at that time.
在當時,那真是一件不得不忍受的苦事。
Bitter pills may have wholesome effects.
- 良藥苦口。
sugar the pill
- 使苦事容易被接受
Whenever he wants to borrow money from me, he will try to
sugar the pill by saying that he will return the money very soon.
每次他來向我借錢,總是花言巧語,說很快就會把錢還我。
a bitter pill (for)
- 難以忍受的、不愉快的或丟臉的……
辨析
n.
- a small round mass of solid medicine for swallowing whole.
▸
(the Pill)
a contraceptive pill.
- informal, dated a ball.
- informal, dated a tedious or unpleasant person.
v.
(of knitted fabric) form small balls of fluff on its surface.
Phrase
- a bitter pill
an unpleasant or painful necessity. - sugar
(or sweeten)
the pill
make an unpleasant or painful necessity more palatable.
Etymology
ME: ult. from L. pilula ‘little ball’, dimin. of pila.