passable

/ˈpɑːsəbl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈpæsəbl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈpa-sə-bəl/ (ame, mw)

passable — adjective

  • passablepositive
  • more passablecomparative
  • most passablesuperlative

1. of acceptable quality, but not impressive — useful when something works for its

1.形容詞C1
釋義

of acceptable quality, but not impressive — useful when something works for its purpose, but no one would call it good.

例句

Mauricio cooks a passable pasta sauce, though his grandmother's recipe is much better.

predicative use with concrete object

The little hotel near the station was passable for one night, but we wouldn't stay there again.

predicative + 'for one night' qualifier signalling minimum acceptability

同義詞
  • adequate

    neutral; meets a stated requirement without the faint-praise undertone

  • acceptable

    wider in scope; can describe behaviour and standards, not just quality

  • tolerable

    weaker; suggests something is only just bearable rather than genuinely fine

  • mediocre

    more openly negative — sees the same level as a disappointment

反義詞
  • excellent

    the opposite end of the quality scale

  • unacceptable

    below the minimum bar rather than just above it

用法筆記

Often used to damn with faint praise — saying something is 'passable' suggests the speaker would not call it good. Common with skills, performances, food, and short-term accommodation.

常見錯誤

❌I am passable at chess.
✅I am a passable chess player.
💡'passable' usually modifies a noun (skill, performance, item), not the person directly.

2. clear enough to cross or drive along — used about roads, rivers, bridges, or mou

2.形容詞C1
釋義

clear enough to cross or drive along — used about roads, rivers, bridges, or mountain passes that are not blocked by snow, floods, fallen trees, or other obstacles.

例句

The mountain road is only passable in summer, when the snow has melted from the upper slopes.

predicative + seasonal restriction

After two days of heavy rain, the river was barely passable for the small fishing boats.

passable + for + [vehicle / boat]

同義詞
  • navigable

    stricter; usually about rivers or seas wide enough for vessels

  • clear

    everyday word — focuses on the absence of obstacles rather than the route's usability

  • open

    used of roads and passes — the official-sign equivalent of 'passable'

反義詞
  • impassable

    direct opposite — blocked or impossible to cross

  • blocked

    everyday equivalent, often by snow, debris, or traffic

用法筆記

Subject is almost always a route or watercourse (road, path, river, bridge, pass). Distinguish from sense 1 (general quality): this sense is concrete and physical, and it disappears if you replace the subject with a person or a skill.

常見錯誤

❌The weather was passable today.
✅The roads were passable today.
💡this sense applies to the route, not to the weather itself.