Hard pill to swallow Meaning in English
expression
HARD pil tuh SWAH-loh
HAHD pil too SWOL-oh
Definition
A fact or situation that is very difficult or unpleasant to accept or admit.
Usage & Nuances
This idiomatic expression is informal and used to describe harsh truths or news. Common with 'that's a hard pill to swallow.' It does not refer to medicine literally.
Spanish: difícil de aceptar - verdad duraPortuguese (BR): difícil de engolir - verdade duraPortuguese (PT): difícil de engolir - verdade duraChinese (Simplified): 难以接受的事实Chinese (Traditional): 難以接受的事實Hindi: कठिन सच्चाई - जिसे मानना मुश्किल होArabic: حقيقة صعبة القبولBengali: কঠিন সত্য - মেনে নেওয়া কঠিন কিছুRussian: неприятная правда - горькая правдаJapanese: 受け入れがたいこと - 辛い現実Vietnamese: sự thật khó chấp nhận - điều khó chấp nhậnKorean: 받아들이기 힘든 사실 - 쓰라린 진실Turkish: kabul etmesi zor bir gerçek - acı gerçekUrdu: سچائی جسے قبول کرنا مشکل ہو - کڑوی حقیقتIndonesian: kenyataan pahit - sulit diterima
Example Sentences
Losing my job was a hard pill to swallow.
basic
It's a hard pill to swallow, but we can't change what happened.
basic
Hearing the truth was a hard pill to swallow for him.
basic
Finding out she didn't get the promotion was a hard pill to swallow, but she'll move on.
natural
Sometimes the truth is a hard pill to swallow, but it's necessary to hear it.
natural
That was a hard pill to swallow, no doubt, but now we know what to do next.
natural