ponderable

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective ponderable contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of ponderable are appreciable, palpable, perceptible, sensible, and tangible. While all these words mean "apprehensible as real or existent," ponderable suggests having definitely measurable weight or importance.

exerted a ponderable influence on world events

When could appreciable be used to replace ponderable?

In some situations, the words appreciable and ponderable are roughly equivalent. However, appreciable applies to what is distinctly discernible by the senses or definitely measurable.

an appreciable increase in income

Where would palpable be a reasonable alternative to ponderable?

The meanings of palpable and ponderable largely overlap; however, palpable applies either to what has physical substance or to what is obvious and unmistakable.

the tension in the air was almost palpable

When can perceptible be used instead of ponderable?

The synonyms perceptible and ponderable are sometimes interchangeable, but perceptible applies to what can be discerned by the senses often to a minimal extent.

a perceptible difference in sound to a careful listener

When is sensible a more appropriate choice than ponderable?

While the synonyms sensible and ponderable are close in meaning, sensible applies to whatever is clearly apprehended through the senses or impresses itself strongly on the mind.

an abrupt, sensible drop in temperature

When might tangible be a better fit than ponderable?

The words tangible and ponderable are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, tangible suggests what is capable of being handled or grasped both physically and mentally.

no tangible evidence of UFOs
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ponderable
Adjective
  • The defensive line is an obvious area of concern for San Francisco.
    Vincent Frank, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
  • In a recent appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast, Trump held up a chart comparing life expectancy and health expenditures around the world, with the US an obvious negative outlier on both metrics.
    Meg Tirrell, CNN, 30 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • CarMax loaded up on ad buys for the campaign, serving as one of the league’s most prominent TV marketers with the help of three household names in Wilson, Ionescu and Bird.
    Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 26 Oct. 2024
  • Annenberg is one of L.A.’s most prominent philanthropists, having given to more than 2,800 nonprofit organizations through the Annenberg Foundation.
    Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • But dozens of sites is a whole lot fewer than hundreds of sites and the statement is conspicuous for its lack of one thing: a deadline by which the work will be done.
    Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 25 Sep. 2024
  • The guiding idea, as Houser saw it, would be to weaponize ICE against families in order to inflict maximum pain in the most conspicuous way.
    Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Perhaps most striking was a 19% lower death rate from any cause.
    Jackie Snow, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Lake Turkana Flights in Northern Kenya Arguably one of the most epic helicopter safaris, this full day trip into Kenya’s Big North is filled with striking landscapes.
    Shaun Stanley, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Last month, five Republican U.S. senators returned from a trip to Hungary with a blunt declaration – that Orbán's government had displayed a noticeable shift toward Russian President Vladimir Putin.
    Flora Garamvolgyi, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2024
  • This causes more noticeable symptoms, such as:267 Hard, waxy skin: The skin is hard to the touch and may have a waxy appearance.
    Lindsay Curtis, Health, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • The challenge facing Rider was evident in the opening minutes.
    Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Lille came into this tie having already recorded wins over both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, their quality evident once again when the game got underway as Jonathan David had an early effort charged down by Federico Gatti.
    Adam Digby, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • This mirrors how Bohm conceptualized reality: both the implicate order (the underlying unseen reality) and the explicate order (the manifest physical world) constantly influence each other.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
  • That brings us back to the BMJ paper and its manifest flaws.
    Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2024
Adjective
  • Leaders can make tangible, long-lasting contributions that address real needs.
    John Krpan, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
  • Biden hasn’t been articulate enough lately to lay out his economic vision, and Harris’s instinct is to present all her ideas, including economic proposals, in specific, tangible, personal terms.
    Nicholas Lemann, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near ponderable

Cite this Entry

“Ponderable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ponderable. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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