bitter experience; bitter defeat; ordeal
Almost exclusively used in the set phrase 苦杯をなめる (to have a bitter experience; to suffer a bitter defeat). The literal meaning 'bitter cup' is rare outside this idiom.
See also: 苦杯をなめる
He suffered a bitter defeat in the election.
After the negotiations, we ended up having a bitter experience.
Standard kanji spelling; used in the set phrase 苦杯をなめる.
Rare variant using 盃 (sake cup) instead of 杯.
Compound of 苦 (bitter, painful) and 杯 (cup, sake cup). The phrase 苦杯をなめる (to drink a bitter cup) is a metaphor for enduring a painful or humiliating experience.