palpable
Americanadjective
-
(usually prenominal) easily perceived by the senses or the mind; obvious
the excuse was a palpable lie
-
capable of being touched; tangible
-
med capable of being discerned by the sense of touch
a palpable tumour
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of palpable
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Late Latin palpābilis “touchable,” from palpā(re) “to stroke, touch” ( see palpate 1) + -bilis -ble
Explanation
When something is palpable, you can touch or handle it, even though the word is often used to describe things that usually can't be handled or touched, such as emotions or sensations. You probably won't see palpable used to describe, say, an egg or a doorknob or a motorcycle. Palpable is usually reserved for situations in which something invisible becomes so intense that it feels as though it has substance or weight. Someone who has experienced a death in the family might say that her grief feels palpable.
Vocabulary lists containing palpable
The Giver
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Power Suffix: -able
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Grade 10, List 1
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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.
Between the team’s low-scoring style, its palpable stress, and the crushing weight of three consecutive late-season collapses, the final weeks of Arsenal’s league campaign turned into a bruising slog.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
At the precipice of an odyssey that will challenge the half-lives they’ve lived so far, the sisters’ anger is palpable.
From Salon • May 19, 2026
His passion for Los Angeles, classic films, and Cinespia’s devoted audience was palpable.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
The excitement about what’s next for memory stocks is palpable, but some investors question whether it’s sustainable.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
Now, thinking about the feeling of fear as he pedaled home along the river path, he remembered that moment of palpable, stomach-sinking terror when the aircraft had streaked above.
From "The Giver" by Lois Lowry
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.
