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

The tolerable upper limit (UL) for zinc is 40 mg daily for males and females 19 years and older. —Amy Brownstein, Verywell Health, 11 Dec. 2025

Like many nutrients, zinc has a tolerable upper intake level (UL). —Lindsey Desoto, Health, 9 Dec. 2025

Doing the dishes, grocery shopping and existing in New York City has never felt more tolerable. —Mike Winters, CNBC, 7 Dec. 2025

Going into the season with the goal of downshifting will help make its challenges—lack of light, cold weather, lots of activities—more tolerable. —Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 2 Dec. 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