to bite out
- phrasal verb
- /baɪt aʊt/
- Informal
- "You can't just ignore me!" she bit out, clearly irritated by his indifference.
Examples
-
"Don't you dare speak to me like that!" she bit out, her voice sharp with anger.
-
"Save your gratitude," she bit out.
Fiction book (1991) -
And so he like, takes a bite out of her, like gives her a little chomp on the neck.
-
After hearing the rude comment, he bit out, "That was uncalled for!"
Synonyms
To reply angrily or sharply, often without warning
Say something quickly and angrily after losing control
To say words quickly and angrily to show strong dislike
To speak in a short angry voice to give orders
Suddenly say angry things about someone by speaking or writing
Say something suddenly without thinking
To speak rudely and loudly to a person in charge
To say something in an angry, sharp voice
To say words quickly and angrily to show dislike
Scold someone angrily in front of others
To scold someone angrily and severely
Shout at someone in a very angry way and threaten them
To suddenly say something angry without warning
To say something loudly and angrily
Say things quickly without thinking that may hurt people or make you sorry later
Tell someone angrily that you are unhappy with them
Shout loudly at someone because they did something wrong
To speak angrily to someone and criticize them
To speak to someone in a sudden angry way without good reason
Say angry, cruel things about someone
To say a bad word when you feel angry or hurt
Antonyms
How Harsh
Surface Forms
Morphology
bite + out
The verb 'bite' conveys a harsh, attacking reaction which can metaphorically extend to a sharp or abrupt verbal response, so part of the meaning is inferable from the constituent. However, the particle 'out' does not clearly contribute the specific sense 'to say something abruptly' in a predictable way, and the phrasal-verb usage is somewhat metaphorical and must be learned, so the overall expression is only partially transparent.
Etymology
The phrase bite out shows a picture of someone 'biting' the words, the idea of bite, and pushing them out quickly so the words sound sharp and short. That's why it means 'to say something abruptly or harshly'.