Meaning & use
durable
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Strong enough to last a long time without breaking or wearing out.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: durable boots; the fabric is durable.
Patterns
- a durable material
- durable against something
These boots are durable and will last for years.
The phone case is made of a durable plastic.
Concrete is a durable building material.
adjectivecomparablefigurative
Lasting for a long time, as of a relationship, an effect or an idea.
Grammar: Often figurative with abstract nouns: a durable peace.
Patterns
- a durable peace
- durable growth
The two countries signed a durable peace agreement.
Their durable friendship survived many moves.
The firm hopes for durable economic growth.
nounusually pluraltechnical
Goods that last for years of use, such as cars and refrigerators.
Grammar: Often in the phrase consumer durables.
Patterns
- consumer durables
Sales of durables rose in the spring.
The store sells durables such as washing machines.
Economists study the demand for durables.
Word forms
| comparative | more durable |
|---|---|
| superlative | most durable |
Common combinations
- highly durable
- The floor tiles are highly durable.
- durable goods
- Durable goods include cars and refrigerators.
- durable material
- Steel is a very durable material.
- remarkably durable
- The old bag proved remarkably durable.
- durable peace
- They hoped for a durable peace.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sturdy
- Sturdy suggests solid construction that can take force, while durable emphasizes lasting over time.
- tough
- Tough is a casual word for resistant to damage, and is more about strength than length of life.
- long-lasting
- Long-lasting focuses only on time, and is plainer than durable.
- hard-wearing
- Hard-wearing is a British phrase for cloth, carpets and shoes that resist daily wear.
Opposites
Word family
- durability noun
- the ability to last a long time
- durably adverb
- in a long-lasting way
- durableness noun
- the quality of lasting
- endure verb
- to last or to suffer patiently
- duration noun
- the length of time something lasts
Commonly confused: durable or durable vs dura? durable or durable?
durable vs durable vs dura
Do not mix durable with endurable, which means able to be tolerated, such as pain.
durable vs durable
Durable is not the same as reliable, which means dependable in performance.
Practice
We chose a ____ carpet for the hallway because it would be walked on all day.
Choose one answer.
Durable means able to last under heavy use. Delicate is the opposite, and decorative and dismal do not address wear.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “durable”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.