tolerable

adjective

tol·​er·​a·​ble ˈtä-lə-rə-bəl 

ˈtäl-rə-;

ˈtä-lər-bəl

1

: capable of being borne or endured

tolerable pain

2

: moderately good or agreeable : passable

a tolerable singing voice

tolerability

ˌtä-lə-rə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

ˌtäl-rə-

noun

tolerably

ˈtä-lə-rə-blē 

ˈtäl-rə-;

ˈtä-lər-blē

adverb

Synonyms

• endurable
• sustainable
• bearable
• sufferable

Examples of tolerable in a Sentence

The heat was tolerable for only a short time.

stubbing your toe is at least a more tolerable pain than breaking your foot

Recent Examples on the Web

Even though the weather is much more tolerable than in the hot summer months, once that fall feeling arrives, the end of mowing the grass for the year is in sight. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 2 Sep. 2025

In North Africa, temperatures can range from a tolerable 86°F (30 °C) to an extreme 107°F (42°C). —Jamie Carter, Space.com, 25 Aug. 2025

For all the speed and tools that players like Tyler Fitzgerald and Grant McCray bring to the roster, their high strikeout rates won’t be so tolerable. —Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025

Spring and fall offer more tolerable temps and events like the Bombay Beach Biennale, which takes place in spring, and the annual Brawley Cattle Call Rodeo, held each November. —Jen Murphy, Travel + Leisure, 15 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tolerable

• intolerable

Kids Definition

tolerable

adjective

tol·​er·​able

ˈtäl-(ə-)rə-bəl,

ˈtäl-ər-bəl

1

: capable of being put up with

tolerable pain

2

: fairly good

a tolerable singing voice

tolerably

-blē

adverb