supportable

IPA/səˈpɔː.tə.bəl/
KK[səpˈɔrtəbəl]IPA/səˈpɔːr.t̬ə.bəl/

supportable — 形容詞

  • supportablepositive
  • more supportablecomparative
  • most supportablesuperlative

1. An argument, claim, or theory that is supportable rests on facts or logical reas

1.形容詞C1
釋義

可證實

有證據可證明為真的

An argument, claim, or theory that is supportable rests on facts or logical reasoning strong enough to convince others it is correct.

例句

Rohan presented a supportable argument that the company should invest in solar energy.

Rohan 提出了一個可證實的論點，認為公司應該投資太陽能。

supportable argument + that-clause

The scientist's claim was supportable because she had data from five years of field experiments.

那位科學家的主張是可證實的，因為她收集了五年實地實驗的數據。

同義詞
  • defensible

    focuses on being able to argue against attacks, not just prove a point

  • tenable

    stronger implication that the position is logically sound enough to hold

  • justifiable

    more about moral or practical rightness than factual proof

反義詞

文法句型

supportable + abstract noun (claim, argument, theory)

be + supportable

用法筆記

Frequently appears in academic or legal writing. The noun modified is almost always abstract — you would not describe a physical object as supportable.

常見錯誤

❌His parents were very supportable of his career choice.
✅His parents were very supportive of his career choice.
💡'supportable' describes ideas and claims, not people who give encouragement.
❌We need a supportable bridge for the new road.
✅We need a bridge that can carry heavy loads.
💡'supportable' is not used for physical weight-bearing objects.

2. When a bad or painful experience is supportable, the person going through it is

2.形容詞C1
釋義

可忍受

雖痛苦但尚能承受的

When a bad or painful experience is supportable, the person going through it is able to bear it without being completely overwhelmed.

例句

For Mira, the pain was supportable while she took medicine every four hours.

對 Mira 來說，只要每四小時服藥，疼痛是可忍受的。

The afternoon heat in the desert became barely supportable after noon.

正午過後，沙漠裡的下午熱氣幾乎變得難以忍受。

collocation: barely supportable

同義詞
  • bearable

    more common in everyday speech; slightly weaker in intensity

  • endurable

    very close, but emphasises lasting through time rather than accepting the moment

  • tolerable

    suggests the experience is acceptable even if unpleasant; slightly less intense suffering

反義詞
  • unbearable

    the most common opposite; too intense to stand

  • intolerable

    suggests a moral or principled refusal to accept

文法句型

be + supportable

become + supportable

find/feel + something + supportable

用法筆記

Typically used with negative or limiting adverbs (barely, hardly, no longer, just about) because the situation is already difficult. Without such adverbs, the sentence may sound oddly positive about a bad situation.

常見錯誤

❌The five-minute wait for the bus was supportable.
✅The five-minute wait for the bus was bearable.
💡'supportable' implies real hardship, not minor inconvenience.
❌No longer supportable' is often confused with 'no longer sustainable.
✅The pain was no longer supportable' (it became unbearable) vs. 'The business was no longer sustainable' (it could not continue).

3. An activity, system, or rate of growth that is supportable can continue at its c

3.形容詞C1
釋義

可維持

活動或系統能持續運作的

An activity, system, or rate of growth that is supportable can continue at its current pace or size without causing significant problems.

例句

Iker wondered whether the current rate of growth was supportable for the small business.

Iker 懷疑那家小型企業目前的成長率能否維持。

supportable rate of growth — business domain

The project is only supportable if we hire two more engineers by next month.

這個專案只有在我們下個月前再聘請兩名工程師的情況下才能維持。

同義詞
  • sustainable

    wider use; often implies renewal of resources, not just continuation

  • viable

    suggests a plan or system can succeed; slightly stronger

  • workable

    more practical and informal; focuses on whether something functions in reality

反義詞

文法句型

supportable + noun (growth, rate, activity)

be + supportable

become + supportable

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1 (PROVABLE WITH EVIDENCE): sense 1 is about logical truth, sense 3 is about practical continuation. Distinguish from sense 2 (BEARABLE TO ENDURE): sense 2 is about personal suffering, sense 3 is about systems and activities.

常見錯誤

❌I felt supportable after the surgery.
✅I felt able to continue after the surgery.
💡sense 3 does not apply to a person's own physical state.
❌Supportable' and 'sustainable' are used interchangeably.
✅Sustainable' focuses on environmental/resource renewal; 'supportable' (sense 3) simply means manageable at the current level.