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palpable

/ˈpælpəbəl/
/ˈpælpəbəl/
IPA guide

When something is palpable, you can touch or handle it, even though the word is often used to describe things that usually can't be handled or touched, such as emotions or sensations.

You probably won't see palpable used to describe, say, an egg or a doorknob or a motorcycle. Palpable is usually reserved for situations in which something invisible becomes so intense that it feels as though it has substance or weight. Someone who has experienced a death in the family might say that her grief feels palpable.

Definitions of palpable
  1. adjective
    capable of being perceived; especially capable of being handled or touched or felt
    “a barely palpable dust”
    “felt sudden anger in a palpable wave”
    “the air was warm and close--palpable as cotton”
    “a palpable lie”
    synonyms: tangible
    perceptible
    easily perceived by the senses or grasped by the mind
    perceptible
    capable of being perceived by the mind or senses
    see moresee less
    antonyms:
    impalpable
    imperceptible to the senses or the mind
    elusive, subtle
    difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
    imperceptible, unperceivable
    impossible or difficult to perceive by the mind or senses
  2. adjective
    can be felt by palpation
    “a palpable tumor”
    synonyms:
    perceptible
    capable of being perceived by the mind or senses
Pronunciation
US
/ˈpælpəbəl/
UK
/ˈpælpəbəl/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘palpable'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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