-able
(Latin: a suffix; expressing capacity, fitness to do that which can be handled or managed, suitable skills to accomplish something; capable of being done, something which can be finished, etc.)
A suffix that forms adjectives. The suffix -ible has related meanings; expressing ability, capacity, fitness; capable of, fit for, able to be done, can be done, inclined to, tending to, given to.
This list is only a small sample of the thousands of -able words that exist in English.
interviewable (adjective) (not comparable)
1. Disposed to be asked questions for a report: For his German class at school, Doug was interviewable for the other students so that they could complete their composition regarding the private life of a teenager!
2. Capable of answering facts, or statements, which are elicited from another person: When the newspaper reporters came to the firm, Mr. Thompson was interviewable and could respond to any queries made by the journalists regarding the company's financial situation.
2. Capable of answering facts, or statements, which are elicited from another person: When the newspaper reporters came to the firm, Mr. Thompson was interviewable and could respond to any queries made by the journalists regarding the company's financial situation.
intolerable (adjective), more intolerable, most intolerable
1. Descriptive of something that is so bad, difficult, or painful that it cannot be endured: Ted had such an intolerable pain in his back that he could not sleep.
2. A reference to a situation that is very unpleasant or terribly annoying: The intolerable noise from the drilling in the street has greatly upset the people who live nearby.
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2. A reference to a situation that is very unpleasant or terribly annoying: The intolerable noise from the drilling in the street has greatly upset the people who live nearby.
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intractable (adjective), more intractable, most intractable
1. A reference to someone or something that is difficult to manage or to govern; stubborn: Intractable people are very difficult to influence or to get along with.
2. Pertaining to something that is not easy to mold or to manipulate: The intractable materials were too much trouble for the construction men to work with.
3. Descriptive of that which cannot be alleviated or cured quickly: The intractable pain in Hank's back was not going to be made less severe right away.
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© ALL rights are reserved.
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
2. Pertaining to something that is not easy to mold or to manipulate: The intractable materials were too much trouble for the construction men to work with.
3. Descriptive of that which cannot be alleviated or cured quickly: The intractable pain in Hank's back was not going to be made less severe right away.
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.
invadable (adjective) (not comparable)
1. Susceptible of being entered in a hostel or forceful way: If a country doesn't protect itself at all, it could become an invadable nation for a possible violent attack.
2. Open to being crowded into: The market place in the center of the town was certainly a favorite invadable area where masses of people pushed and pressed to get to their preferred stalls to buy fresh fruit and vegetables.
3. Subject to being infested and spreading through with dangerous effects: When a person doesn't wear a face mask in a store at the present time, the chances of having the invadable coronavirus enter his or her body is greater than when protecting oneself and others.
4. Capable of being infringed or violated upon: When Violet wasn't home, her brother knew that her room was invadable, so he went in and looked through her drawers for her diary!!
2. Open to being crowded into: The market place in the center of the town was certainly a favorite invadable area where masses of people pushed and pressed to get to their preferred stalls to buy fresh fruit and vegetables.
3. Subject to being infested and spreading through with dangerous effects: When a person doesn't wear a face mask in a store at the present time, the chances of having the invadable coronavirus enter his or her body is greater than when protecting oneself and others.
4. Capable of being infringed or violated upon: When Violet wasn't home, her brother knew that her room was invadable, so he went in and looked through her drawers for her diary!!
invaluable (adjective), more invaluable, most invaluable
1. Extremely costly or precious; inestimable worth: The paintings in Rose's home were invaluable and priceless because they were all originals by famous painters.
2. Referring to something which is very useful: indispensible: In her kitchen, Natasha thought that her dishwasher was an invaluable appliance and she would never want to miss it!
2. Referring to something which is very useful: indispensible: In her kitchen, Natasha thought that her dishwasher was an invaluable appliance and she would never want to miss it!
invariable (adjective) (not comparable)
Pertaining to something that never changes; unalterable; never changing in nature, value, or extent: The invariable response to her two-year-old's question if she could use her mother's laptop was always a "No!".
investable (adjective), more investable, most investable
Capable of placing or committing money in order to gain a monetary return or profit: Mr. Money, the financial advisor, suggested a certain investable insurance plan that would yield proceeds at regular intervals.
inviolable (adjective), more inviolable, most inviolable
1. Secure from being infringed, breached, or broken: There were some rules in the family and one inviolable principle was never to lie.
2. Safe from violence or attack: In the story that James was reading, there was an inviolable fortress which was secure from any raiders trying to get in.
3. Capable of prohibiting violation; protected against destruction, violence, infringement, or desecration: Jane was adamant that men and women were equal in all aspects and believed that as being inviolable.
4. Incapable of being corrupt; unassailable: Many people believe the truths in the Bible to be inviolable.
2. Safe from violence or attack: In the story that James was reading, there was an inviolable fortress which was secure from any raiders trying to get in.
3. Capable of prohibiting violation; protected against destruction, violence, infringement, or desecration: Jane was adamant that men and women were equal in all aspects and believed that as being inviolable.
4. Incapable of being corrupt; unassailable: Many people believe the truths in the Bible to be inviolable.
invitrifiable (adjective) (not comparable)
Unable to be converted into glass: Without heat and fusion, the process of making mirrors, or other glassy substances, is invitrifiable.
invulnerable (adjective), more invulnerable, most invulnerable
1. Incapable of being wounded or of receiving injury: The basketball team seems to be in an invulnerable position to winning the championship this year.
2. Unable to be damaged, hurt, or affected: Sharon was invulnerable and insusceptible to criticism.
3. Not able to be successfully attacked by an aggressive military force; immune to attack: In the book Mike was reading, the king's army thought that they were indestructible and invulnerable to any foe that might want to overthrow the kingdom.
2. Unable to be damaged, hurt, or affected: Sharon was invulnerable and insusceptible to criticism.
3. Not able to be successfully attacked by an aggressive military force; immune to attack: In the book Mike was reading, the king's army thought that they were indestructible and invulnerable to any foe that might want to overthrow the kingdom.
irrational, unreasonable
irrational (i RASH uh nuhl) (adjective)
1. Descriptive of someone who is incapable of logical thought, unconcerned, careless: Joshua's father became more irrational as his fever got worse.
3. Unsound, illogical, unreasonable, not based on reality, nonsensical, foolish: Addie tends to be more irrational every day as a result of her demented condition.
Some politicians become irrational in the way they spend and waste money.
2. Affected by loss of usual or normal mental clarity; incoherent, as from a shock: Greg commented, "Tami, your fears and your behavior are irrational."3. Unsound, illogical, unreasonable, not based on reality, nonsensical, foolish: Addie tends to be more irrational every day as a result of her demented condition.
unreasonable (un REE zuh nuh buhl) (adjective)
1. Pertaining to a lack in good sense, unfair, unacceptable: Jane said, "Come on, Carl, it's unreasonable for you to expect the weather to be cool in the summer."
2. Referring to a person who exceeds normal limits; obstinate, headstrong, stubborn, inflexible, obdurate, prejudiced: Andrew is a spoiled and unreasonable person.
3. Excessive, too great, exorbitant, extravagant, immoderate, unjustifiable: The company's management considers the union's demands as being totally unreasonable.
2. Referring to a person who exceeds normal limits; obstinate, headstrong, stubborn, inflexible, obdurate, prejudiced: Andrew is a spoiled and unreasonable person.
3. Excessive, too great, exorbitant, extravagant, immoderate, unjustifiable: The company's management considers the union's demands as being totally unreasonable.
It is not unreasonable to fear that Tim's irrational anger could translate into aggression which might become unreasonably physical.
It seemed that authorities had to use unreasonable force to control Harold whose mental state could be described as increasingly irrational.
irreclaimable (adjective), more irreclaimable, most irreclaimable
1. Unable to be reformed or called back to doing the right things: The founder of Boys' Town, USA, believed there was no such thing as an irreclaimable boy.
2. Descriptive of land that is depleted and cannot be brought back to a useful cultivation: The agronomist, or agricultural land development specialist, regretted that the flooded land was irreclaimable and could no longer grow healthy crops.
3. Impossible to be called back or revoked; irrevocable: The crash of the car against the tree caused irreclaimable damage and so it had to be towed away to the junk yard.
2. Descriptive of land that is depleted and cannot be brought back to a useful cultivation: The agronomist, or agricultural land development specialist, regretted that the flooded land was irreclaimable and could no longer grow healthy crops.
3. Impossible to be called back or revoked; irrevocable: The crash of the car against the tree caused irreclaimable damage and so it had to be towed away to the junk yard.
irreconcilable (adjective), more irreconcilable, most irreconcilable
1. Incapable of being appeased or compromised: The two girls had such an argument that they were irreconcilable and totally inflexible and couldn't solve their problem by themselves.
2. Not possible for conflicting beliefs or ideas to effectuate harmony: The plans that the two families had for building a house where they could live together were too irreconcilable that each family decided to build their own separate house.
2. Not possible for conflicting beliefs or ideas to effectuate harmony: The plans that the two families had for building a house where they could live together were too irreconcilable that each family decided to build their own separate house.
irredeemable (adjective) (not comparable)
1. Incapable of being improved or corrected; hopeless: Jane's mother loved old dolls and the whole house was full of them which made the situation quite irredeemable when they wanted to eat dinner at the dining table, which was also cluttered with old dolls!
2. Referring to currencies which are not convertible at the discretion of the holder: At the little town bank, Jill wanted to exchange her US bills into Euros, but the clerk said it was irredeemable or impossible and she would have to go to another bigger bank for the transaction.
2. Referring to currencies which are not convertible at the discretion of the holder: At the little town bank, Jill wanted to exchange her US bills into Euros, but the clerk said it was irredeemable or impossible and she would have to go to another bigger bank for the transaction.
irrefragable (adjective), more irrefragable, most irrefragable
1. Descriptive of being impossible to break or to alter: The rules at school were irrefragable and the students had to obey and abide by them.
2. Relating to something that is impossible to prove as being wrong or false: The fact that people and animals get hungry is an irrefragable truth.
2. Relating to something that is impossible to prove as being wrong or false: The fact that people and animals get hungry is an irrefragable truth.
The certainty that snow is white is irrefragable!
3. Etymology: from Latin infringere, "to damage, to break off", from in-, "not" + frangere, "to break".
