soluble
/ˈsɒljəbl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈsɑːljəbl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsäl-yə-bəl/ (ame, mw)
soluble — adjective
- solublepositive
- more solublecomparative
- most solublesuperlative
1. A soluble substance can dissolve in a liquid, breaking down into its smallest pa
A soluble substance can dissolve in a liquid, breaking down into its smallest parts and mixing evenly with it.
Sugar is soluble in water, but oil is not.
pattern: be soluble in [liquid]
Vitamin C is highly soluble, so the body absorbs it quickly.
collocation: highly soluble
Takeshi checked the label to see whether the cleaning tablet was soluble in cold water.
Soluble fibres such as those found in oats can help lower your cholesterol.
- dissolvable
less technical than soluble; focuses on the physical process of dissolving
- miscible
technical term for liquids that mix in any proportion; does not apply to solids or gases
- insoluble
the direct opposite; cannot be dissolved in a given liquid
文法句型
be soluble in [liquid]
用法筆記
Typically followed by in to specify the liquid (e.g., soluble in water, soluble in alcohol). The opposite is insoluble. The comparative and superlative forms are rare — solubility is usually treated as a binary property.
常見錯誤
2. A problem, difficulty, or mystery that is soluble can be resolved or figured out
A problem, difficulty, or mystery that is soluble can be resolved or figured out successfully.
The political dispute turned out to be less soluble than experts had hoped.
figurative: dispute as subject
Maeve told her students that every maths problem was soluble with enough patience.
soluble with [condition]
The detective believed the old case was still soluble if new evidence came to light.
After two years of failed attempts, the mystery proved soluble when a witness came forward.
- solvable
the more common everyday word for problems that can be solved
- resolvable
slightly more formal; often used for disputes, conflicts, or dilemmas
- fixable
informal; used for practical problems or mechanical issues
- insoluble
also used figuratively; e.g., an insoluble mystery or insoluble conflict
- unsolvable
more common in everyday English for problems with no solution
文法句型
be soluble
用法筆記
This figurative sense is much less common than the chemical sense. It is most often found in formal or academic writing. Typical subjects are problem, mystery, difficulty, question, dispute, or case.