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

Working with a contraceptive drug that transforms into crystals suspended in a solvent, the shot could solidify into a drug deposit beneath the skin without the need of large amounts of polymers, allowing it to be injected through thinner, more tolerable needles. —Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 24 Mar. 2025

For law firms and legal departments considering AI adoption, the risk becomes more tolerable as AI tools improve in accuracy, reliability. —Lars Daniel, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025

Driving in rush hour, running errands, cooking dinner, entertaining guests, all of these activities become far more tolerable when listening to uninterrupted music that tugs at your inner urges to let loose. —Miguel Otárola, The Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2025

The Food and Nutrition Board has not established a tolerable upper limit (TUL) for folate in foods, as there have not been reports of adverse events from excess folate.1 A TUL refers to the highest daily amount of a nutrient that can be safely consumed by a healthy individual. —Jennifer Lefton, Ms, Rd/n, Cnsc, Fand, Verywell Health, 7 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