able
262
1.0
- adjective
- /ˈeɪbəl/
:
apto
- One can expect responsibility only from people able to take care of themselves.
- able-bodied
- able to walk
They may feel less strong, less vibrant, less able to do things, less themselves.
- They may feel less strong, less vibrant, less able to do things, less themselves.
- So now you can now you're physically able to move where you're looking.
- And she's slowly able to do more things with her hands.
- And now I'm kind of like more strength and able to hold that speed.
- Like I need to be able to bend down and touch my toes.
- So it's hard for a boxer to not be able to do anything about anything.
Examples
-
The free-born hastened to comply, those who were able giving what support they could to the injured.
Fiction book (1993) -
The level of competency of healthy, able individuals allows them to handle the environmental stresses of daily life.
Academic text (2011) -
He'll barely be able to sit up.
-
Were you able to get the lab fully operational?
-
In our society, males are expected to be tough and able to handle problems.
Academic text (1991) -
We want to keep him overnight for observation, but he'll be able to go home in the morning.
-
That's the reason, you know, I've been able to stay healthy.
-
He was able to make an arrow fly through 12 axes without touching any one of them.
-
His wounded arm dragged him under, his beak barely able to stay above the waterline.
Fiction book (1991) -
The soldiers were all able, ready for the challenges of the mission ahead.
Synonyms
945
1.4
Able to do something well because of skill or training
30
4.2
A person who is physically strong and healthy
15
3.5
Being ready to do something and having what is needed to do it
Antonyms
Compounds
- Jargon
1
6.6
A trained, skilled sailor on a merchant ship who helps with navigation and lifeboats
A person who has a disability and works or looks for work, bringing different skills
- Jargon
A woman sailor on a merchant ship who is fully trained in deck and safety duties
How Fit
Surface Forms
Etymology
Able also came to mean physically fit, as in able-bodied, and it comes from the same idea of habere, which means 'to have'. So an able person is someone who 'has' the strength or body needed for work or service.