咽苦水

咽苦水:

Literally means:

swallow the bitterness

Actually means:

咽 means swallowing something.

This phrase means swallowing the bitterness into one's stomach.

It figuratively means one finds nowhere to complain or he dare not complain after he was hurt, wronged, or suffered other unfair treatment, and has to quietly and painfully endure it.

咽，把东西吞食下去。

咽苦水，把苦水吞到肚子里。

比喻遭到伤害、冤屈等等不公平待遇而无处申到诉，或不敢申诉，只能痛苦地强行忍受。