bearable

Bearable is an adjective that describes something that can be endured or tolerated without excessive distress. It denotes a level of discomfort or hardship that, while not pleasant, remains within the limits of endurance. Common contexts include physical pain, weather, workload, and life circumstances. For example, “The pain became bearable after the medication” or “The heat is bearable if you stay hydrated.”

Etymology and form: Bearable is formed from the verb bear meaning to endure or carry, plus the suffix -able. In Old English, the root is related to beran and bearian, meaning to endure; over time, the compound came to describe things that can be endured rather than impossible to bear.

Usage and nuance: Bearable is a gradable adjective and can take modifiers such as slightly, fairly, or barely. The opposite is unbearable or intolerable. It is often used to convey a threshold of tolerance, distinguishing between unacceptable hardship and something manageable. In medical or pain contexts, patient-reported outcomes may describe pain as bearable, indicating it is not incapacitating.

Relation to related terms: Endurable, tolerable, and manageable are close synonyms; bearable emphasizes endurance, while tolerable may imply acceptance at a given level. Bearable weather or conditions are those that are not intolerable; unbearable indicates that the condition exceeds endurance.