bearable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- bearableness noun
- bearably adverb
Etymology
Origin of bearable
Explanation
Something that you can live through, disagreeable as it may be, is bearable. The world's most boring math class, while tedious, is bearable. If you can stand to do something, it's bearable. You might have several tricks for making a hot summer day bearable, like drinking iced tea or sitting beside a fan. A shy child might find the first day of kindergarten more bearable if his best friend is in his class. The adjective bearable comes from the sense of bear that means "endure" or "get through." The origin is the Old English beran, from a Germanic root.
Vocabulary lists containing bearable
Vocabulary from the Introduction to "Reality is Broken" by Jane McGonigal
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Devil's Arithmetic
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
-able
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
You may personally find some of them terrible, but most are bearable and all are virtually inevitable.
From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026
There has also been a surge of online advice on how to make time in shelters more bearable.
From Barron's • Mar. 8, 2026
The pressures of life, which in that moment felt unbearable, proved bearable.
From Slate • Dec. 26, 2025
Like many she has invested in power banks to make life more bearable:
From BBC • Dec. 16, 2025
For Emma death was bearable because there was an afterlife.
From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
