susceptible

adjective

sus·​cep·​ti·​ble sə-ˈsep-tə-bəl 

1

: capable of submitting to an action, process, or operation

a theory susceptible to proof

2

: open, subject, or unresistant to some stimulus, influence, or agency

susceptible to pneumonia

3

: impressionable, responsive

a susceptible mind

susceptibleness noun

susceptibly

sə-ˈsep-tə-blē 

adverb

Synonyms

• endangered
• exposed
• liable
• open
• sensitive
• subject (to)
• vulnerable

Choose the Right Synonym for susceptible

liable, open, exposed, subject, prone, susceptible, sensitive mean being by nature or through circumstances likely to experience something adverse.

liable implies a possibility or probability of incurring something because of position, nature, or particular situation.

liable to get lost

open stresses a lack of barriers preventing incurrence.

a claim open to question

exposed suggests lack of protection or powers of resistance against something actually present or threatening.

exposed to infection

subject implies an openness for any reason to something that must be suffered or undergone.

all reports are subject to review

prone stresses natural tendency or propensity to incur something.

prone to delay

susceptible implies conditions existing in one's nature or individual constitution that make incurrence probable.

very susceptible to flattery

sensitive implies a readiness to respond to or be influenced by forces or stimuli.

unduly sensitive to criticism

Examples of susceptible in a Sentence

Researchers at the University of South Carolina say that a chemical found abundantly in red wine, apples and onions helps protect against influenza, especially after a rigorous respiratory workout, when the body is more susceptible to infection. —Kim Marcus et al., Wine Spectator, 31 May 2009

Women were especially susceptible to his … charm, and he maintained dozens of relationships simultaneously. When he was finally being tried for his crimes, 20 women sat together in the courthouse's public galleries, weeping: mistresses, lovers and admirers, all convinced of Unterweger's innocence. —Robert MacFarlane, New York Times Book Review, 13 Jan. 2008

He grew up during the heyday of the Hegelian philosophy, which sought to explain all things in terms of historical development, but conceived this process as being ultimately not susceptible to the methods of empirical investigation. —Isaiah Berlin, The Hedgehog and the Fox, (1953) 1978

The virus can infect susceptible individuals.

some people are more susceptible to depression during the winter because of reduced exposure to sunlight

Recent Examples on the Web

Tovar, for example, researches specific genes that make people more susceptible to diabetes, which affects about 38 million Americans, including some who don't respond well to existing treatments. —Brett Kelman, NPR, 28 Apr. 2025

But the ride for Palantir has been far from smooth, and shares have been susceptible to volatile swings. —Samantha Subin, CNBC, 28 Apr. 2025

The writers apparently intend for Brontë to be a stand-in for the audience: A woman who knows Joe’s murderous past but is simultaneously susceptible to his charm. —Judy Berman, Time, 24 Apr. 2025

But during the time the algae are gone, the corals become weakened and more susceptible to disease and pollution—and if the algae stay away too long, the corals die. —Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 24 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin susceptibilis, from Latin susceptus, past participle of suscipere to take up, admit, from sub-, sus- up + capere to take — more at sub-, heave entry 1

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for susceptible

• acceptable
• perceptible
• imperceptible
• unacceptable

Kids Definition

susceptible

adjective

sus·​cep·​ti·​ble sə-ˈsep-tə-bəl 

1

: being of such a nature as to permit some action or operation

a theory susceptible to proof

2

: having little resistance

persons susceptible to colds

3

: easily affected or impressed

susceptible to flattery

susceptibly

-blē 

adverb

Medical Definition

susceptible

1 of 2 adjective

sus·​cep·​ti·​ble sə-ˈsep-tə-bəl 

1

: having little resistance to a specific infectious disease : capable of being infected

2

: predisposed to develop a noninfectious disease

susceptible to diabetes

3

: abnormally reactive to various drugs

susceptible

2 of 2 noun

: one that is susceptible (as to a disease)

vaccinate all susceptibles in each region where outbreaks appeared

—A. J. Bollet