PALATABLE Synonyms: 221 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

palatable

adjective

ˈpa-lə-tə-bəl

Definition of palatable

as in OK

being to one's liking I did not find the idea of moving again very palatable

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

as in delicious

very pleasing to the sense of taste the vegetarian version of that classic dish turned out to be equally palatable

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 The Takeaway Asking how to make training more palatable for Gen-Z was the wrong question. — James Glover, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026 To keep it palatable and comfortable, pair bold hues with more muted ones for balance. — Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Aug. 2026 Newspaper op-eds from big names have long been ghostwritten by junior staffers or outside PR firms — no disclosure necessary, and often watered down and hyper-optimized to be as palatable as possible. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026 For nearly that whole time, popular fictions have been trying to make American history more palatable. — Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for palatable

Recent Examples of Synonyms for palatable

Adjective

The brown one’s okay, but purple — looking royal — that’d be nice.

— Maria Bamford, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
But getting to these moments means being okay with being confused, and that’s because season 2 really ratchets up the complexity primarily by introducing a whole bunch of new characters, most of whom are variants of existing ones.

— Andrew Webster, The Verge, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of OK

Adjective

But a pleasant, elegant note does not match the intimacy—the intentionality—of speaking.

— José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 2 Sep. 2026
Only Ann Patchett could write such a pleasant, amiable novel about death, and only a horse could serve as her essential metaphor for peaceful salvation.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of pleasant

Adjective

Its rooftop bar, Zefiro, is a hotspot for creative cocktails with views of the Duomo, while a restaurant by Korean-American chef Akira Back, who trained under Nobu, brings delicious Japanese fusion cuisine to a city dominated by pasta and steak.

— Laura Itzkowitz, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
Cast your mind back to the winter of 2024 and the delicious second season of The Traitors.

— Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of delicious

Adjective

Crafted from the finest, lightest tweed, the dress—chosen by stylist Ramona Tabita—features a sumptuous knotted structure that opens into a generous back neckline and culminates in a majestic train that skims the red carpet.

— Giacomo Aricò, Vogue, 5 Sep. 2026
She’s played with a darkly enigmatic, unnerving quality by James in her finest work to date — a knowing, even domineering smile often curling around her lips.

— Tomris Laffly, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of fine

Adjective

As Pierre looks back on filming, one of the most enjoyable parts of the episode was getting to work with the child actors, including Jayce Eiland and Cairo Cash Lee, who play the younger versions of John.

— Matt Minton, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026
Whatever the intent, the end result is a perversely enjoyable bit of schlock.

— Andy Andersen, Vulture, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of enjoyable

Adjective

What kept the tent from feeling like a collection of cowboy props was the tasteful curation of vintage pieces.

— Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
Even Rodrigo’s backing band, full of absolutely shredding women instrumentalists, played beside her on equal footing for exquisitely tasteful, post-punky revisions of songs across her three albums.

— Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of tasteful

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“Palatable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palatable. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of palatable

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