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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective palpable contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of palpable are appreciable, perceptible, ponderable, sensible, and tangible. While all these words mean "apprehensible as real or existent," palpable applies either to what has physical substance or to what is obvious and unmistakable.

the tension in the air was almost palpable

In what contexts can appreciable take the place of palpable?

The synonyms appreciable and palpable are sometimes interchangeable, but appreciable applies to what is distinctly discernible by the senses or definitely measurable.

an appreciable increase in income

When is it sensible to use perceptible instead of palpable?

While the synonyms perceptible and palpable are close in meaning, 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 can ponderable be used instead of palpable?

In some situations, the words ponderable and palpable are roughly equivalent. However, ponderable suggests having definitely measurable weight or importance.

exerted a ponderable influence on world events

When might sensible be a better fit than palpable?

Although the words sensible and palpable have much in common, sensible applies to whatever is clearly apprehended through the senses or impresses itself strongly on the mind.

an abrupt, sensible drop in temperature

When is tangible a more appropriate choice than palpable?

The words tangible and palpable 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

Examples of palpable in a Sentence

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Recent Examples on the Web Friends, allies and foes The feeling of anticipation is palpable in Washington’s great rival, Beijing. Alexander Smith, NBC News, 4 Nov. 2024 Clearly scared and unsure, the stray's apprehension was palpable, eliciting a wave of sympathy from viewers. Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024 From the beginning, León’s excitement about being in Madrid was palpable. Franchesca Guim, Billboard, 1 Nov. 2024 For many people, stress related to the approaching presidential election is palpable. Jenny Taitz, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for palpable 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for palpable
Adjective
  • Paxton, pious to the end, responds by talking about the Great Prayer Experiment, a (very real) series of studies that sought to test whether prayer has any tangible healing impact — and conclusively found there to be not.
    Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
  • Webster Financial Corporation's report discusses various financial metrics, including a return on average assets of 1.01% and a return on average tangible common stockholders' equity of 14.29%.
    Quartz Bot, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • The Colonial-style home, listed by Marjorie Galen of Sotheby’s International Realty, is painted an unmistakable bright yellow hue—as expected by its name—as an homage to the original Yellow Barn.
    Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 31 Oct. 2024
  • The overall impact, however, has been an unmistakable depreciation of the genre’s commercial might.
    Adam B. Vary, Variety, 28 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • With protests outside the courthouse audible inside the courtroom, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Maxwell Wiley instructed the jury to not listen to the words being yelled.
    Eric Levenson, CNN, 1 Nov. 2024
  • Such passengers' boarding passes will trigger an audible sound and display a message to gate agents.
    Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Related Articles There are some minor and barely noticeable physical improvements over previous models, such as a slightly less prominent camera bump in the back.
    Larry Magid, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
  • Other experiments are less noticeable but nonetheless consequential: by increasing early voting, for example, states have observed changes in who participates in elections, including those previously left out of the process.
    Jenna Bednar, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • The apparent shift away from spotlighting education issues during this campaign season shows that Republicans may be backing down from controversial culture war issues.
    Sommer Brugal, Axios, 4 Nov. 2024
  • When the Dodgers-Yankees matchup was set for the Fall Classic, interest in Chisholm’s apparent comments about Rojas resurfaced.
    Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • And the songs followed this logic, molting bit by bit, year over year, the changes barely perceptible in the moment, until a full evolution had occurred.
    Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2024
  • But during ninety remarkably fast-talking minutes in New York—verbally, both candidates are speed demons—the Ohio senator J. D. Vance moved the narrative of the race in a small but perceptible way toward the Republican side.
    Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Examples of physical withdrawal symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle aches, and more, and can deter some people from seeking help for substance use disorder.
    Josephine Hessert, Verywell Health, 24 Oct. 2024
  • Walgreens, in contrast, doubled down too much on physical drugstores for years.
    Phil Wahba, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • 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
  • The challenge facing Rider was evident in the opening minutes.
    Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024

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Thesaurus Entries Near palpable

Cite this Entry

“Palpable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palpable. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.

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