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

Faucets are regularly tested, and those with lead-laden water — there is no such thing as a tolerable level — are replaced. — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026

These are far more tolerable conclusions to reach than, say, the idea that credentialing has no business sharing a venue with coming of age, or that undergraduate education is at odds with the mission of a research institution. — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 17 Sep. 2026

Looking back on a summer marked by drought and forest fires in Europe, Romay said the weather at Inditex headquarters in the Galicia region in Spain had been tolerable. — Ellen Groves, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2026

So far, the costs of the mutual blockade have been tolerable for the United States. — James F. Jeffrey, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 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