tolerable

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

Also spelled tolable and tolerble

US /ˈtɑːlərəbəl/ UK /ˈtɒlərəbəl/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
able to be endured; fairly good

The pain was tolerable as long as she stayed still.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · able to be endured; fairly... bearable endurable sufferable passable acceptable adequate decent fair

Opposites

intolerable unbearable unendurable insufferable

Word family

Forms tolerably

Derived forms tolerablytolerablenesstolerability

Related forms tolerate toleration tolerance

Etymology

From Latin tolerābilis ('that may be endured'), from tolerāre ('to bear, endure').

tolerābilis Latin tolerāre Latin *telh₂- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

# tolerable

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ˈtɑːlərəbəl
**IPA (UK):** ˈtɒlərəbəl

## Meanings
1. able to be endured; fairly good

## Examples
- The pain was tolerable as long as she stayed still.

## Synonyms
- bearable
- endurable
- sufferable
- passable
- acceptable
- adequate
- decent
- fair

## Antonyms
- intolerable
- unbearable
- unendurable
- insufferable

## Derived Forms
- tolerably
- tolerableness
- tolerability

## Related Forms
- tolerate
- toleration
- tolerance

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: tolerābilis
- Root: tolerāre
- Root: *telh₂-

## Etymology
From Latin tolerābilis ('that may be endured'), from tolerāre ('to bear, endure').

## AI Etymology
Tolerable comes from Latin tolerābilis ('that may be endured'), from tolerāre ('to bear, endure'). The historical trail runs through Latin tolerābilis, Latin tolerāre and Proto-Indo-European *telh₂-. In modern use it means able to be endured; fairly good. Derived formations include tolerably, tolerableness, tolerability; related forms include tolerate, toleration, tolerance.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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tolerable

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