manageable

/ˈmænɪdʒəbəl/

Say it: MAN-i-juh-bul

1. adjective Able to be controlled, handled, or accomplished without excessive difficulty.
The project was large, but we broke it down into manageable tasks.
2. adjective Of a person or animal, easy to direct or control; docile.
After a few weeks of training, the puppy became much more manageable on a leash.

📖 Seen in the wild

By breaking the large project into smaller tasks, it became much more manageable.
collected by @vocablast

✏️ manageable in a sentence

The city's debt, while substantial, is considered manageable by financial experts.
She cut her long, thick hair to a more manageable length for the summer.
With the new medication, his chronic pain became manageable enough to return to work.
Let's focus on a few manageable goals for this quarter instead of trying to do everything at once.
The teacher divided the students into small, manageable groups for the activity.
He was relieved to find that the monthly payments on the loan were manageable.
The software helps users organize complex information into manageable chunks.

🔁 Synonyms & antonyms

doable workable achievable controllable tractable attainable practicable governable

doable · more informal; focuses on whether a task can be completed at all.

workable · implies a plan or solution is practical and can be implemented successfully.

achievable · emphasizes that a goal or target can be reached, often through effort.

controllable · highlights the ability to direct, influence, or restrain something.

Opposites: unmanageable, overwhelming, intractable, unwieldy, impossible

🌱 Where it comes from

The word flows directly from its parts: 'manage' and the suffix '-able'. 'Manage' itself entered English from Italian 'maneggiare', meaning 'to handle', especially a horse. This traces back to the Latin 'manus' for 'hand', so 'manageable' literally means 'able to be handled'.

🧩 How it's used

Common patterns:

manageable chunksmanageable sizemanageable levelmanageable debtperfectly manageablekeep something manageable

Manageable is a versatile and common word used to frame a challenge as surmountable. It's often used to reassure others or oneself that a large task, high cost, or difficult situation is not as daunting as it appears. The word frequently appears in contexts of breaking down problems, as in 'manageable steps' or 'manageable portions', making it a staple in project management and personal goal-setting.

Word family: manage, management, manager, manageability, unmanageable

💬 Quick answers

What does manageable mean?

It describes something that is possible to handle, control, or accomplish. It implies that while a situation might be challenging, it is not overwhelming.

What is the difference between manageable and doable?

Manageable focuses on the ability to control or handle a process, often over time. Doable is more informal and simply suggests a task is possible to complete, without commenting on its complexity.

Is manageable a positive word?

Yes, it is generally a positive and reassuring word. It suggests that a potentially difficult situation is under control or can be successfully navigated.

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