bite the bullet
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.97 in modern English
20
Scrabble Score
13
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To accept a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.
verb
To accept an undesirable or counterintuitive implication of an argument or view.
Example Sentences
- "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."
- "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."
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.