inflatable

American  

[in-fley-tuh-buhl] / ɪnˈfleɪ tə bəl /

adjective

1. capable of being inflated.

2. designed or built to be inflated before use.

---

noun

1. an inflatable object, device, or structure, especially a small rubber boat that is inflated with air.

inflatable British  

/ ɪnˈfleɪtəbəl /

noun

1. any of various large air-filled objects made of strong plastic or rubber, used for children to play on at fairs, carnivals, etc

---

adjective

1. capable of being inflated

Other Word Forms

• reinflatable
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of inflatable

First recorded in 1875–80; inflate + -able

Explanation

Something inflatable can be blown up or filled with air. A balloon is inflatable — you can either blow it up, or fill it with helium so that it floats. Car tires are inflatable, and so are beach balls, bicycle inner tubes, floating pool toys, bouncy castles, air mattresses, and some lightweight boats. If you're in a car accident, the inflatable air bag will fill quickly to protect you from hitting the dashboard. The adjective inflatable comes from the Latin inflare, "to blow into or puff up."

Example Sentences

All 224 passengers on board were evacuated by inflatable emergency slides as a matter of precaution, Frontier said.

From BBC • May 9, 2026

The barge idea was hatched after their initial attempt to save the whale with inflatable cushions and pontoons was unsuccessful.

From Barron's • May 2, 2026

In 2004, the Flaming Lips created an iconic Coachella moment when singer Wayne Coyne traveled over the crowd in a giant inflatable ball.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

When a friend couldn’t make a trip along Route 66 to celebrate their 66th birthday, they bought an inflatable dummy, added his image to the head and included it in group photos.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

The heat at home was set to a normal sixty-seven degrees and there were no inflatable flamingos on the porch.

From "P.S. I Miss You" by Jen Petro-Roy