palpable

1 able to be perceived by a sense or by the mind the tension in the negotiating room was palpable Synonyms appreciable, apprehensible, detectable, discernible (also discernable), distinguishable, perceptible, sensibleRelated Words audible, observable, tangible, visible; clear, conspicuous, evident, eye-catching, manifest, noticeable, obvious, plain, ponderable, prominent, striking; apparent, distinct, identifiable, significant, straightforwardNear Antonyms inaudible, intangible, invisible; inconspicuous, indistinct, unnoticeable, unobtrusive; faint, insignificant, slight, trivial; buried, concealed, covert, disguised, hidden, obscure, shrouded, vagueAntonyms impalpable, imperceptible, inappreciable, indistinguishable, insensible, undetectable

2 capable of being perceived by the sense of touch a small but palpable lump in my neck Synonyms tangible, touchableRelated Words tactile; corporeal, physical; actual, concrete, embodied, existent, material, real, substantial; appreciable, detectable, discernible (also discernable), noticeable, observable, perceptible, seeable, sensible, visibleNear Antonyms bodiless, formless, immaterial, incorporeal, insubstantial, nonmaterial, nonphysical, unbodied, unsubstantial; abstract, ethereal, spiritual, unreal, virtual; imperceptible, insensibleAntonyms impalpable, intangible

3 not subject to misinterpretation or more than one interpretation a palpable case of lying under oath Synonyms apparent, bald, bald-faced, barefaced, bright-line, broad, clear-cut, crystal clear, decided, distinct, evident, lucid, luculent, luminous, manifest, nonambiguous, obvious, open-and-shut, clear, patent, pellucid, perspicuous, plain, ringing, straightforward, transparent, unambiguous, unambivalent, unequivocal, unmistakableRelated Words cognizable, cognoscible, comprehendible, comprehensible, digestible, fathomable, graspable, intelligible, knowable, understandable; self-evident, self-explanatory; clean-cut, simple, tidy, uncomplicated; overt, undisguised; appreciable, perceptible, recognizable, sensible, tangible; discernible (also discernable), noticeable, observable, visible; black-and-white, explicit, trenchant, well-defined; clean, decipherable, fair, legible, readableNear Antonyms incomprehensible, indecipherable, unfathomable, unintelligible, unknowable; impalpable, imperceptible, inappreciable, indiscernible, insensible; cloudy, gauzy, gray (also grey), hazy, imprecise, indefinite, indeterminate, misty, murky, nebulous, noncommital, sketchy, slippery, subtle, vague; illegible, undecipherable, unreadableAntonyms ambiguous, clouded, cryptic, dark, enigmatic (also enigmatical), equivocal, indistinct, mysterious, nonobvious, obfuscated, obscure, unapparent, unclarified, unclear, unclouded