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palpably

Use the adverb palpably to describe something you can physically feel or otherwise notice quite clearly. If a talent show singer is palpably anxious, it will be a wonderful surprise when she belts out a perfect aria.

The literal meaning of palpably is "in a way that can be felt or palpated," from its Latin root palpare, "touch gently." Feeling a knot that's swelling palpably in your arm gives your doctor a clue about whether it's sprained or broken. It's most common to use this word in a figurative way, for things you can't actually touch: "He was palpably relieved when the test was over" or "The mood at her birthday party was palpably joyous."

Definitions of palpably
  1. adverb
    so as to be palpable
    “she was palpably nervous”
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