palpable

Intermediatezipf 3.19

Pronunciation

/ˈpælpəbl/(PAL-puh-bl)

Part of speech

adjectiveformal

Chinese

可触知的；明显的（强调可以感受到的）

Definition

Able to be touched or felt; so intense as to seem almost tangible; easily perceived.

Word family

  • palpably/ˈpælpəbli/(adv)明显地

Collocations

  • palpable tension
  • palpable excitement
  • palpable relief
  • palpable sense
  • almost palpable

Examples

  1. 1.The tension in the courtroom was palpable as the jury returned with their verdict. (strongly felt)
  2. 2.There was a palpable sense of relief when the hostages were finally released. (almost physical)

Synonyms

  • tangible/ˈtændʒɪbl/— able to be touched or clearly perceived
  • perceptible/pərˈsɛptɪbl/— able to be noticed
  • unmistakable/ˌʌnmɪˈsteɪkəbl/— not able to be doubted

Etymology

from Latin "palpabilis" (that can be touched) — "palpare" (to touch gently, to stroke) — originally medical, now mostly figurative