en English es español fr française it italiano de deutsche ja 日本語 pl polski cs česky sv svenska tr Türkçe nl Nederlands

Explaining "Bite the bullet"

Reviewed and edited by Anwar Kareem 13/11/2024, 12:18
English.me team member

What does it mean?

Bite the bullet

To face a difficult or unpleasant situation with courage and determination.

Tone

Resilient and determined

Origin

The phrase is believed to have originated from the practice during battles of having soldiers bite on a bullet to help cope with pain in the absence of anesthesia during surgery.

Examples of usage

  • I really didn't want to sit through that three-hour meeting, but I knew I had to bite the bullet and get it over with.
  • She decided to bite the bullet and finally confront her boss about the overdue raise.

Recommended posts in Phrases

Where there is muck there is brass

Where there is muck there is brass

The phrase means that where there is dirt or unpleasant ... Learn more →

Hands down

Hands down

An expression meaning "easily" or "without a doubt", often used ... Learn more →

Like father, like son

Like father, like son

The phrase means that a son often resembles or behaves ... Learn more →

Every cloud has a silver lining

Every cloud has a silver lining

The phrase means that every difficult or unpleasant situation has ... Learn more →