palatable
/'pælətəbl/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Pleasant or acceptable to the taste: Describes food or drink that has a good, agreeable flavor.
- Acceptable or satisfactory to the mind or feelings: Describes ideas, situations, or information that is agreeable, tolerable, or easy to accept, even if not ideal.
Usage and Examples
Describing food or drink:
- The chef made the simple vegetables surprisingly palatable.
- After adding some herbs, the soup became much more palatable.
Describing abstract concepts (ideas, truths, solutions):
- The committee struggled to find a palatable compromise.
- He had to make the bad news more palatable before delivering it to the team.
Advanced Usage and Nuances
- Often used in a relative sense, implying something is acceptable rather than exceptionally good.
- The offer wasn't great, but it was palatable given the circumstances.
- Can be used in the negative form (unpalatable) to describe something unacceptable or disagreeable.
- The truth was unpalatable, but necessary to hear.
Variants and Related Words
- Palatability (noun): The quality of being palatable.
- The palatability of the meal was enhanced by the presentation.
- Unpalatable (adjective): Not pleasant to taste or mind; unacceptable.
- They faced the unpalatable task of cutting the budget.
Synonyms
- Appetizing (primarily for food)
- Tasty (for food)
- Agreeable
- Acceptable
- Tolerable
Antonyms
- Unpalatable
- Disagreeable
- Distasteful
- Repellent
Idioms and Common Phrases
- "Make something palatable": To present or modify something (often an idea or fact) to make it easier to accept.
- She used humor to make the criticism more palatable.
- "A palatable alternative": An acceptable or satisfactory option among less desirable ones.
- Working from home was a palatable alternative to a long commute.
Adjective
- acceptable to the taste or mind
- palatable food
- a palatable solution to the problem