susceptible
Americanadjective
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admitting or capable of some specified treatment.
susceptible of a high polish; susceptible to various interpretations.
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accessible or especially liable or subject to some influence, mood, agency, etc..
susceptible to colds; susceptible to flattery.
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capable of being affected emotionally; impressionable.
adjective
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(postpositive; foll by of or to) yielding readily (to); capable (of)
hypotheses susceptible of refutation
susceptible to control
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liable to be afflicted (by)
susceptible to colds
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easily impressed emotionally
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of susceptible
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Late Latin susceptibilis, from suscept(us) “taken up” (past participle of suscipere “to take up, support,” from sus- sus- + -cipere, combining form of capere “to take”) + -ibilis -ible
Explanation
If you are susceptible to something such as infections or earaches, it means you are likely to become sick with these things. Have you ever received something you don't want? Well, with susceptible meaning "likely to be influenced or affected by" that is probably going to be the case. If you're susceptible to flattery, and someone wants something from you, all they have to do is give you a compliment or two and you'll do what they want. Material that's susceptible to cracking won't be in good condition for long.
Vocabulary lists containing susceptible
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
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1984
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Esperanza Rising
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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.
The most susceptible areas will be Long Beach and the Avalon Harbor on Tuesday and Wednesday and then Malibu through Ventura County Wednesday through Friday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026
"Now that we know they have this defense mechanism, we might be able to precisely disable it in cancers, making them more susceptible to cancer therapies, as well."
From Science Daily ● Sep. 25, 2026
Though the currency’s value was susceptible to the day’s memes, it ultimately required confidence only in code.
From Slate ● Sep. 20, 2026
The 24-year-old is still learning how to manage the anomaly, which allows her to continue running when one of the tendons is torn but may also make her more susceptible to breakdowns.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
In addition, measles and some of our other “childhood” diseases are more likely to kill infected adults than children, and all adults in the tribelet are susceptible.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
