adaptable
/əˈdæptəbl/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈdæptəbl/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈdap-tə-bəl a-/ (ame, mw)
adaptable — adjective
- adaptablepositive
- more adaptablecomparative
- most adaptablesuperlative
1. describes a person, system, or thing that can change easily to work well in new
describes a person, system, or thing that can change easily to work well in new or different situations
Mei-Lin is very adaptable and quickly learned the new accounting system.
collocation: very adaptable
This adaptable sofa turns into a guest bed with a simple pull.
attributive use: adaptable + noun
Carlos proved adaptable when his team moved from Taipei to the Singapore office.
Children are often more adaptable than adults when starting at a new school.
Fatima's adaptable schedule lets her work from home when her son is sick.
- flexible
broader term — can describe both willingness to change and physical bendability
- versatile
focuses on having multiple uses or skills rather than ease of changing
- adjustable
mainly for objects and settings that can be physically altered
- resilient
emphasises the ability to recover from difficulty, not just to change
- rigid
unwilling or unable to change approach or schedule
- inflexible
more common in everyday speech for people who refuse to compromise
- stubborn
negative trait of refusing to change even when necessary
用法筆記
Typically carries a positive connotation. Used for people, systems, designs, and schedules. Often paired with intensifying adverbs like 'highly', 'very', or 'extremely'.