bitter end

[bit-er end for 1; bit-er end for 2] /ˈbɪt ər ˈɛnd for 1; ˈbɪt ər ˌɛnd for 2/

noun

the conclusion of a difficult or unpleasant situation; the last or furthest extremity:

Despite the unpleasant scenes in the movie, she insisted on staying until the bitter end.

Nautical.

the inboard end of an anchor chain or cable, secured in the chain locker of a vessel.
the end of any chain or cable.

Origin

1620-30 in form bitters end; probably bitt + er¹, later taken as bitter

Examples from the web for bitter end

Still, there is no need to actually go through tenure denial to the bitter end, if you are afforded the opportunity to withdraw.
So instead they'll choose to litigate cases until the bitter end.
It was an incredibly entertaining game, and both sides fought it out to the bitter end.
To the bitter end, they failed to meet their father's expectations of them.
For the students, it was a bitter end to a day that had already started going wrong.
Two members stuck to the apple blossom to the bitter end.
The pennant shall be spliced on a thimble and shackled into the bitter end of the top chain.
And of course, at the bottom, there's always a group of people who will fight you to the bitter end.
Belt has hook and loop along the entire length for servicing the bitter end down.
They were there, several of them to the bitter end helping us put this report together.

British Dictionary definitions for bitter end

bitter end

noun

(nautical) the end of a line, chain, or cable, esp the end secured in the chain locker of a vessel

to the bitter end, until the finish of a task, job, or undertaking, however unpleasant or difficult
until final defeat or death

Word Origin

C19: in both senses perhaps from bitt

Word Origin and History for bitter end

In lexicons of sea language going back to 1759, the bitter end is the part of a cable which is round about the bits (two great timbers used to belay cables) when the ship is at anchor.

Bitter end of the Cable, the End which is wound about the Bitts. ["The News-Readers Pocket-Book: Or, a Military Dictionary," London, 1759]

See bit (n.1). So, when a cable is played out to the bitter end, there is no more left to play. The term began to be used c.1835 in non-nautical use and with probable influence of bitter (adj.).

Idioms and Phrases with bitter end

bitter end

The last extremity; also, death or ruin. For example, I'm supporting the union's demands to the bitter end, or Even though they fight a lot, I'm sure Mom and Dad will stay together to the bitter end. The source of this term may have been nautical, a bitter being a turn of a cable around posts, or bitts, on a ship's deck, and the bitter end meaning “the part of the cable that stays inboard.” Thus, when a rope is paid out to the bitter end, no more remains. [ Mid-1800s ]