Definition of palatablenext
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as in pleasant
giving pleasure or contentment to the mind or senses I always associate the palatable aroma of roasting turkey with Thanksgiving

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word palatable different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of palatable are appetizing, savory, tasty, and toothsome. While all these words mean "agreeable or pleasant especially to the sense of taste," palatable often applies to something that is found to be merely agreeable.

butterflies that birds find palatable

When could appetizing be used to replace palatable?

In some situations, the words appetizing and palatable are roughly equivalent. However, appetizing suggests a whetting of the appetite and applies to aroma and appearance as well as taste.

appetizing hors d'oeuvres

When would savory be a good substitute for palatable?

The meanings of savory and palatable largely overlap; however, savory applies to both taste and aroma and suggests piquancy and often spiciness.

dumplings with savory fillings

When is it sensible to use tasty instead of palatable?

The words tasty and palatable can be used in similar contexts, but tasty implies a pronounced taste.

a tart and tasty pie

In what contexts can toothsome take the place of palatable?

While the synonyms toothsome and palatable are close in meaning, toothsome stresses the notion of agreeableness and sometimes implies tenderness or daintiness.

an enticing array of toothsome desserts

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of palatable At an annual Space Resources Week event in Luxembourg, businesses have publicly discussed how to make mining other celestial bodies, including the Moon, more palatable for the public. Marissa E. Yingling, The Conversation, 12 Aug. 2026 In response, big firms are trying to make their presence in communities more palatable. Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 10 Aug. 2026 But for all its ambition, the mixtape isn't an exercise in making Ghanaian music more palatable to the world. Desjah Altvater, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 The nicotine salt allows the nicotine to cross the blood-brain barrier more easily, making higher levels of nicotine more palatable, according to King. Callie Teitelbaum, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for palatable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for palatable
Adjective
  • Their games have a lot of similarities at the same age, and Perfetti’s impact has been just okay in the NHL.
    Corey Pronman, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
  • In the end, the package never arrives, but that turns out to be okay.
    Keith Phipps, Vulture, 19 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • With time for a quick lunch, Zouaghi enjoyed a pleasant farm-to-table meal at Five March before continuing to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, one of Glasgow’s premier cultural institutions.
    Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Join Swamp Fox Tours for a pleasant hour-long history and architecture lesson aboard the blue-and-white tram.
    Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 18 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • His wife welcomes me into their open-air kitchen for coffee and tamal de maicena — homemade milk tarts made with cornstarch, which are unbelievably fresh and delicious.
    Jennifer Leigh Parker, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Get a caffeine kick-start at Birdies Coffee + Bakery, then head to Commons Grounds for a delicious brunch.
    Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Travel + Leisure, 21 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Menart’s script does a fine job of building out these jagged women with a sharp eye for the growing pains of flesh-and-bones relationships born from the seed of virtual connection.
    Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Synaptic purge To find out how many synapses are lost during QIH, Tanaka’s team implanted tetrodes, bundles of fine electrodes, into the hippocampus of freely moving mice.
    Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 22 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Define your part, name the deadline, and choose the version of participation that keeps creativity enjoyable and commitment realistic.
    Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 21 Aug. 2026
  • But the mystery train starts veering off the rails as Flowers wanders away from enjoyable rhinestone reinvention and defaults to the heavy-handed Springsteenian realism that’s sometimes been both his Rosetta stone and his Achilles’ heel.
    Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Each room is thoughtfully designed for travelers looking to unwind—luxurious beds, tasteful lighting, boho-minimal decor, and plentiful smart storage.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The same California Craftsman look; almost identical plank siding; a similar tasteful yet cheery color palette.
    Julie Z. Weil, Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • When looking for symptoms, anything can become suspect; and when comfort is sought, anything can look alright.
    Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The kids are not alright, or even right in the head in Serbian drama 3 Weeks After.
    Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 17 July 2026
Adjective
  • The yellow and red trim pops perfectly from the dark blue background, and there’s a pleasing colour consistency with the Adidas trefoil, the Arsenal badge and the sponsor.
    Nick Miller, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
  • For an aesthetically pleasing addition to your kitchen, this coffee percolator comes in four bold finishes.
    BestReviews, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Palatable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palatable. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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