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 of tolerable

• endurable
• bearable
• sustainable
• 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

That study, which tests for safety and determines the most effective and tolerable size of a dose, is needed before the vaccine can be tested in the field in a larger efficacy trial. — Helen Branswell, STAT, 22 July 2026

The tolerable upper intake level (UL) for magnesium from supplements and medications is 350 milligrams (mg) per day. — Kirstyn Hill, Health, 14 July 2026

The weather was tolerable in the morning, but by the afternoon, sweat was beading down their foreheads. — Evgenia Anastasakos, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2026

And expect the real negotiation to happen less between Ankara and Tehran than between Ankara and Washington, over what payment mechanism, if any, is tolerable. — Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026

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