a bitter pill (to swallow)
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englisha bitter pill (to swallow)a bitter pill (to swallow)UNPLEASANTsomething very unpleasant that you must accept The knowledge that his friends no longer trusted him was a bitter pill to swallow. → bitterExamples from the Corpusa bitter pill (to swallow)• Losing the business was a bitter pill to swallow.• It was a bit of a blow, a bitter pill to swallow.