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as in pleasant
giving pleasure or contentment to the mind or senses I always associate the palatable aroma of roasting turkey with Thanksgiving

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word palatable different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of palatable are appetizing, savory, tasty, and toothsome. While all these words mean "agreeable or pleasant especially to the sense of taste," palatable often applies to something that is found to be merely agreeable.

butterflies that birds find palatable

When could appetizing be used to replace palatable?

In some situations, the words appetizing and palatable are roughly equivalent. However, appetizing suggests a whetting of the appetite and applies to aroma and appearance as well as taste.

appetizing hors d'oeuvres

When would savory be a good substitute for palatable?

The meanings of savory and palatable largely overlap; however, savory applies to both taste and aroma and suggests piquancy and often spiciness.

dumplings with savory fillings

When is it sensible to use tasty instead of palatable?

The words tasty and palatable can be used in similar contexts, but tasty implies a pronounced taste.

a tart and tasty pie

In what contexts can toothsome take the place of palatable?

While the synonyms toothsome and palatable are close in meaning, toothsome stresses the notion of agreeableness and sometimes implies tenderness or daintiness.

an enticing array of toothsome desserts

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of palatable Meanwhile, hard candy or gum may also be a solution for some travelers that's less palatable to others. Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 1 Dec. 2024 And some startups, like fast-fashion platform Shein, have quietly established headquarters in Singapore due, at least in part, to hopes that a non Chinese home base might be more palatable to Western investors. Nicholas Gordon, Fortune Asia, 27 Nov. 2024 For Cyber Monday, the Five is seeing a rare discount and is 20 percent off, which brings the price to a more palatable $439. Chris Welch, The Verge, 2 Dec. 2024 But all that bland, commercially palatable careerism can’t prevent Muncie, played by the versatile Emmy winner Colman Domingo, from getting dragged into a war between the far right and the radical left, edgelord billionaires and misfits living communally at society’s fringes. Judy Berman, TIME, 29 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for palatable 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for palatable
Adjective
  • Our tasters agreed that there was a pleasant, verdant, peppery aroma.
    Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 17 Dec. 2024
  • Anyone looking for a pleasant way to take daily vitamins: Gummy vitamins taste good and may feel like a small treat.
    Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • While there's nothing better than a warm bowl of chicken noodle soup on a chilly evening, soups are an easy and delicious idea for weeknight dinners or weekend lunches.
    Staff Author, Southern Living, 8 Dec. 2024
  • The current was muscular, the water delicious, dark blue.
    Lauren Groff, The New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • The weighty subject of Whitehead’s novel seems to demand a straight story—the kind that announces its respect for the material through impressively unvarnished performances, dutiful attention to period trappings, a tasteful approach to the story’s violence.
    K. Austin Collins, The Atlantic, 13 Dec. 2024
  • Now, with the recent opening of her shop, along with Porta, Three 80 Atlantic, the Consistency Project, and Misha and Puff, among others, the block has become, almost by accident, an absurdly tasteful Main Street.
    Rachel Davies, Curbed, 9 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Users can also indicate their budget for dinner as the app works with various types of restaurants (casual, fine dining, etc.).
    Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2024
  • But they’re still regarded as a fine place that develops MLB talent overall.
    Johnny Flores, The Athletic, 17 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • The system also includes Omen Gaming Hub, a software toolkit with a mostly pleasing aesthetic.
    Jason Evangelho, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
  • Marie Kondo Narrow In-Drawer Spice Organizer $35 The Container Store Having all of your spices neatly lined up, with the labels displayed outward, is both aesthetically pleasing and a massive time-saver.
    Emily Johnson, Bon Appétit, 5 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • If your pup likes chewing on stuff, giving them edible chews or chew toys will keep them from ruining your furniture.
    Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
  • From fine wines and colourful macarons to Tuscan olive oils and pecorino cheese, these boxes are filled with an assortment of edible gifts.
    Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK, theweek, 2 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • From Paris to Hong Kong, the best places to go for Christmas around the world offer their own delightful twists on the holiday spirit—with plenty of familiar seasonal traditions like Christmas markets, ice skating, and glimmering trees to satisfy every nostalgic yuletide yearning.
    Christina Pérez, Vogue, 13 Dec. 2024
  • To the east of Guadalupe, the Canton de Marie-Galante is an authentic island with beautiful beaches, delightful restaurants, wildland hikes, and some really terrific rum distilleries.
    Kathleen Turner, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • The bridge's deck was found to be in satisfactory condition, while the substructure was in fair condition.
    Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 5 Dec. 2024
  • Overall, the team is running smoothly but one individual, who previously didn’t have any issues, is now struggling: missing deadlines, not catching mistakes, not completing assignments in a satisfactory way.
    Eva Epker, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Palatable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palatable. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

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