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

Many would consider this a tolerable scenario; some, an attractive one. —Gideon Rose, Foreign Affairs, 23 June 2025

The tolerable upper limit (UL) for zinc is 40 mg daily for males and females 19 years and older. —Melissa Nieves, Verywell Health, 4 June 2025

The distorted memories actually helped some wives feel more satisfied with their current relationship, suggesting that our brains sometimes rewrite the past to make the present more tolerable, or more meaningful. —Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025

The tolerable upper intake of vitamin D for adults is 4,000 IU per day, according to the National Institutes for Health. —Caroline C. Boyle, USA Today, 28 May 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