Tolerable

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "Tolerable" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to describe something that is acceptable or bearable, but not ideal. Example: "The food was tolerable, but I wouldn't order it again." Alternative expressions include "acceptable," "bearable," and "passable."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The boom in gift cards is a kind of socially tolerable version of this: the cards are somehow more personal than cash, and they're also not going to be wasted on an unwanted gift.

The Economist

We do not, with respect to clean air and clean water, set the limits of tolerable pollution by consent.

The Guardian - Tech

Powell had little time for anything in between, the reasonable man's halfway house where most tolerable life is carried on.

The Guardian

In saying "tolerable" I am begging the question; but economic history shows that a moderate amount of inflation is a necessary condition for growth.

The Guardian - Business

King, who did more than any other British official to promulgate the adoption of "inflation-targeting", made an impassioned plea last week for its preservation, including, in his speech in Belfast, a history of all those inflationary problems of the 1970s, and the long struggle to bring inflation down to tolerable rates.

The Guardian - Business

Spring can, at best, meet our notions of tolerable weather at 38%.

The Guardian - Opinion

What was tolerable or ignorable 30 years ago is no longer so.

The Guardian

Related: Gulf states to push for a US plan for containing Iran Privately, the administration is said to view some sulking from the Sunni GCC countries as an inevitable but tolerable consequence of its attempt to restore relations with Iran's Shia sphere of influence.

The Guardian

The tactic of pumping out new software as fast as possible and then issuing patches later to fix flaws in the code may be tolerable if all that is lost is data, but if it involves personal safety, consumers will be less tolerant.

The Economist

Inflation hovers at around 6.5%, the upper bound of what the Central Bank deems tolerable.

The Economist

The 2ºC mark is widely considered to be the dividing line between warming which is just about tolerable and that which is dangerous.For the first time, the IPCC gives some credence to the possibility that Earth's climate may not be responding to higher concentrations of greenhouse gases quite as sharply as was once thought.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Pair the adjective with quantifiable nouns in economic or scientific contexts, such as "tolerable risk", "tolerable error rate" or "tolerable inflation".

Common error

Avoid using "tolerable" when you mean a person is patient or open-minded. Use "tolerant" instead. While "tolerable" describes the thing being endured, "tolerant" describes the character of the observer.

Linguistic Context

The word "tolerable" functions as a primary adjective used to quantify the degree to which a situation, condition or quality can be accepted. Based on examples from Ludwig, it modifies nouns to indicate a threshold between failure and success.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

Formal & Business

10%

Academia

5%

Less common in

Social Media

3%

Science

2%

Wiki

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The adjective "tolerable" is a highly effective tool for describing middle-ground scenarios where conditions are sufficient but not excellent. Ludwig AI and dictionary data confirm its status as a correct and widely used term in professional English. It is especially prominent in economic and political reporting to define limits, such as a "tolerable level of debt" or "tolerable weather". While it shares semantic space with words like acceptable or bearable, it remains the preferred choice when the focus is on the threshold of endurance. Writers should use it to signal that a situation is manageable, even if it leaves much to be desired.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Bearable

Focuses more on the capacity to withstand physical or emotional pain or hardship.

Endurable

Strongly emphasizes the ability to persist through a difficult situation over time.

Acceptable

Suggests meeting a minimum standard or requirement without necessarily being good.

Adequate

Focuses on whether something is sufficient or satisfactory for a particular purpose.

Passable

Describes something that is just good enough to be accepted or to get by.

Fair

A more common way to describe a moderate level of quality that is not impressive but not poor.

Mediocre

Carries a slightly more negative connotation, emphasizing a lack of excellence.

Manageable

Suggests that while a situation is not ideal, it can be handled or controlled.

Supportable

Often used in logical or policy contexts to mean a position can be maintained or justified.

Sustainable

Focuses on the long-term viability of a condition rather than its immediate quality.

FAQs

What can I say instead of "tolerable"?

You can use synonyms like "bearable", "passable" or "adequate" depending on whether you are talking about pain, quality or sufficiency.

Is "tolerable" a positive or negative word?

It is generally neutral to slightly negative. It implies that something is only "good enough" to be accepted but lacks the quality to be considered truly good.

What is the difference between "tolerable" and "acceptable"?

While both mean good enough, "acceptable" often implies meeting a specific formal standard, whereas "tolerable" suggests something that is barely comfortable enough to be endured.

Which is more common, "tolerable" or "endurable"?

"Tolerable" is more frequent in general and economic writing, while "endurable" is often reserved for describing the passage of time or long-lasting hardships.