passable

adjective

pass·​able ˈpa-sə-bəl How to pronounce passable (audio)
Synonyms of passablenext
1
a
: capable of being passed, crossed, or traveled on
passable roads
b
: capable of being freely circulated
2
: good enough : adequate
passably
ˈpa-sə-blē How to pronounce passable (audio)
adverb

Synonyms of passable

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Examples of passable in a Sentence

The main road is passable but most others are still covered with snow. The river is passable during the summer months. He did a passable job with the assignment. She plays passable golf but prefers tennis.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Anyone can now generate marketing materials, animations, even a passable news story with a keystroke. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 31 July 2026 There are currently no flights to this part of the country, so people are entirely dependent on passable roads. — Betsy Joles, NPR, 29 July 2026 Another very interesting point that Mollick brings up is that although Claude can’t technically produce images using standard methods like Stable Diffusion, Fable somehow comes up with passable results through code. — John Werner, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 There’s passable yet indistinguishable music in this exact style dropping every day, but the difference with Chicago’s Fatso is that his lyrics feel like scraps of conversations that communicate his hurt without leaning on platitudes. — Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for passable

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of passable was in the 15th century

Rhymes for passable

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Browse Nearby Words

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passably
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Cite this Entry

“Passable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/passable. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

passable

adjective
pass·​able ˈpas-ə-bəl How to pronounce passable (audio)
1
: capable of being passed, crossed, or traveled on
passable roads
2
: barely good enough : tolerable
a passable imitation
passably
-blē How to pronounce passable (audio)
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on passable

Nglish: Translation of passable for Spanish Speakers

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