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

• bearable
• endurable
• sufferable
• supportable
• sustainable

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

Rising property insurance premiums have caused consternation in hurricane-and-flood-prone Florida, but The Villages sits comfortably away from the areas with the greatest potential for storm tidal flooding, so premiums remain tolerable. —William P. Barrett, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025

Compared with the shocks of the COVID-19 lockdowns, a trade rupture with the United States would be a tolerable disruption. —Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Foreign Affairs, 29 Apr. 2025

The medication proved to be as safe and tolerable as injectable GLP-1 drugs. —Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 21 Apr. 2025

The drug first underwent human trials in 2023, where it was found to be safe and tolerable among patients, and reduced Lp(a) to undetectable levels for nearly one year. —Jamie Ducharme, Health, 14 Apr. 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