the gall of bitterness
Preserved but no longer current.
The bitterest grief; extreme affliction. The ancients taught that grief and joy were subject to the gall as affec- tion was to the heart, knowledge to the kidneys, and the gall of bitterness means the bitter centre of bitterness, as the heart of heart means the innermost recesses of the heart or affections. In the Acts it is used to signify "the sinfulness of sin,*' which leads to the bitterest grief.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “the gall of bitterness” mean?
The bitterest grief; extreme affliction. The ancients taught that grief and joy were subject to the gall as affec- tion was to the heart, knowledge to the kidneys, and the gall of bitterness means the bitter centre of bitterness, as the heart of heart means the innermost recesses of the heart or affections. In the Acts it is used to signify "the sinfulness of sin,*' which leads to the bitterest grief.
Is “the gall of bitterness” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.