Standard Lemma guide

palpable

adj · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈpælpəbəl/
  • US: păl'pə-bəl
  • US: /ˈpælpəbəl/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P AE1 L P AH0 B AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Capable of being touched, felt or handled; touchable, tangible.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tangible, touchable, palpable, tactile

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Obvious or easily perceived; noticeable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: manifest, noticeable, patent

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

That can be detected by palpation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective

Meaning 4

capable of being perceived; especially capable of being handled or touched or felt

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a barely palpable dust
  • felt sudden anger in a palpable wave
  • the air was warm and close--palpable as cotton
  • a palpable lie

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tangible

Antonyms: impalpable

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

can be felt by palpation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a palpable tumor

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle French palpable and its source, Latin palpābilis, which is from palpō (“to touch softly”) + -bilis.

Across languages

Translations

54 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: осезаем (osezaem) — capable of being touched
  • Bulgarian: обозрим (obozrim) — capable of being touched
  • Catalan: palpable — capable of being touched
  • Czech: hmatatelný — capable of being touched
  • Dutch: tastbaar — capable of being touched
  • Finnish: käsinkosketeltava — capable of being touched
  • Finnish: kouriintuntuva — capable of being touched
  • French: palpable — capable of being touched
  • German: greifbar — capable of being touched
  • Greek: απτός (aptós) — capable of being touched
  • Greek: αισθητός (aisthitós) — capable of being touched
  • Greek: ψηλαφητός (psilafitós) — capable of being touched
  • Hungarian: tapintható — capable of being touched
  • Italian: palpabile — capable of being touched
  • Latin: tactilis — capable of being touched
  • Latin: palpābilis — capable of being touched
  • Macedonian: о́пиплив (ópipliv) — capable of being touched
  • Marathi: स्पर्शज्ञेय (sparśajñey) — capable of being touched
  • Marathi: स्पर्शनीय (sparśanīy) — capable of being touched
  • Plautdietsch: feelboa — capable of being touched
  • Portuguese: palpável — capable of being touched
  • Russian: осяза́емый (osjazájemyj) — capable of being touched
  • Russian: ощути́мый (oščutímyj) — capable of being touched
  • Spanish: palpable — capable of being touched
  • Bulgarian: очевиден (očeviden) — obvious
  • Bulgarian: ясен (jasen) — obvious
  • Bulgarian: явен (javen) — obvious
  • Catalan: palpable — obvious
  • Czech: zřejmý — obvious
  • Dutch: te snijden — obvious
  • Finnish: selvä — obvious
  • Finnish: kouriintuntuva — obvious
  • Finnish: käsinkosketeltava — obvious
  • French: palpable — obvious
  • Greek: προφανής (profanís) — obvious
  • Hungarian: érzékelhető — obvious
  • Italian: evidente — obvious
  • Macedonian: очи́гледен (očígleden) — obvious
  • Macedonian: ја́сен (jásen) — obvious
  • Macedonian: оче́виден (očéviden) — obvious
  • Marathi: धडधडीत (dhaḍadhḍīt) — obvious
  • Polish: namacalny — obvious
  • Portuguese: palpável — obvious
  • Russian: очеви́дный (očevídnyj) — obvious
  • Russian: я́вный (jávnyj) — obvious
  • Russian: я́сный (jásnyj) — obvious
  • Spanish: palpable — obvious
  • Czech: hmatný — that can be detected by palpation
  • Dutch: palpeerbaar — that can be detected by palpation
  • Finnish: tunnustelemalla havaittava — that can be detected by palpation
  • Finnish: tunnusteltava — that can be detected by palpation
  • Greek: ψηλαφητός (psilafitós) — that can be detected by palpation
  • Portuguese: palpável — that can be detected by palpation
  • Russian: прощу́пываемый (proščúpyvajemyj) — that can be detected by palpation