Bearably

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. The quality of facing challenges or discomfort with sustainability The capability of enduring experiences without excessive strain The condition of tolerating adverse situations within reasonable limits
2. In a way that permits enduring difficulty or discomfort without excessive hardship
3. So as to be managed or tolerated without overwhelming distress

Etymology: "Bearably" is a plain formation: the adjective "bearable" with the adverbial suffix "-ly" added to its end. "Bearable" itself comes from "bear," the verb meaning to carry or endure, combined with the suffix "-able," which signals capacity or suitability, so the whole word describes something that can be endured. The suffix "-ly" has a long pedigree behind it. It traces back to a Proto-Germanic form "-līkaz," meaning "having the form or body of," which is also the source of the English word "like." Over the centuries this element hardened into a general marker of manner, appearing in Old English as "-līċe" and in Middle English as "-ly," and it is now the standard way to turn an adjective into an adverb.

Synonyms: tolerably, endureably

Antonyms: intolerably, unbearably