All words

tolerate

Meaning

To permit or allow something without objection or interference, even if it is unpleasant or objectionable.

Examples by difficulty

Basic: Simple, everyday vocabulary — the easiest to read.

He hated the loud music from his neighbor, but he would tolerate it because they were friends and he didn't want to cause a fight. Sometimes, you just have to let things slide, even when they bother you.

The old mechanic had to tolerate the constant, high-pitched whine of the malfunctioning ventilation fan. It grated on his nerves, making it hard to focus on the delicate wiring, but he wouldn't shut the whole shop down just for that one annoying noise.

The constant buzzing of the tiny drone was maddening, yet Anya had to tolerate it. Her younger brother had built it, and despite its annoying noise and the way it bumped into the ceiling fan, she wouldn't complain. She just let him keep it flying.

My cat, Bartholomew, insists on singing opera at 3 AM. I don't really like it, his caterwauling is truly awful, but I've decided to just let him. He seems so happy, so I'll just tolerate the noise.

Bartholomew the badger refused to tolerate the squirrel's incessant kazoo solos. Even though the tiny rodent's tunes made his whiskers twitch and his fur stand on end, Bartholomew simply had to allow it. He just closed his eyes, hummed loudly to himself, and hoped for a silent nut-gathering day.

Normal: Standard, everyday language.

He didn't agree with their loud music, but as long as it didn't disturb the neighbors, he'd tolerate it. It wasn't his preference, but he decided to let it slide, not wanting to start a fuss over something so minor.

The elder statesman, his face etched with deep disapproval, had to tolerate the boisterous, off-key rendition of the national anthem by the visiting delegation. He clenched his jaw, but offered no objection, allowing the jarring performance to conclude.

Elara watched the alien lichen spread across the hydroponics bay, a sickly purple she deeply disliked. Still, the nutrient cycle depended on it, so she had to tolerate its unsightly growth, even as it pulsed with an unsettling, slow rhythm.

My roommate insisted on practicing his kazoo solo at 3 AM. While I desperately wanted to throw him out the window, I had to *tolerate* the incessant honking, figuring a sleep-deprived roommate was less trouble than a jail cell. My brain felt like a deflated balloon.

Barnaby, a notoriously grumpy badger, would only tolerate the arrival of the annual Gnomish Accordion Festival because the tiny musicians always left behind a surprising amount of perfectly toasted sunflower seeds. He’d huff and puff from his den, but the lure of free snacks always won out, proving even the grumpiest creatures could permit a little auditory chaos for a tasty reward.

Advanced: Richer vocabulary that stretches an upper-level reader.

The persistent dripping from the leaky faucet was maddening, but for now, she had to tolerate the incessant sound. With rent due and no time for repairs, she simply allowed it, her jaw tight, until a better solution presented itself.

The ancient, moss-covered stones of the forgotten observatory shifted subtly in the alien wind. Elara, despite the gnawing unease of the tremors, had to tolerate the unstable foundations; leaving now meant abandoning the only hope of deciphering the celestial anomaly before it consumed their world.

The cramped quarters meant the pungent odor of fermented algae was something everyone had to learn to tolerate. Each breath brought a sharp, acrid sting, yet no one complained. They simply closed their eyes, focused on the bioluminescent patterns shifting on the hull, and endured the persistent, unpleasant smell.

Barnaby the badger, despite his penchant for polka music at 3 AM, was a creature we learned to tolerate. His uninvited tuba solos, though grating, were less disruptive than his insistence on wearing tiny hats. We simply allowed his musical eccentricities, a peculiar form of peaceful coexistence.

Reginald, a man of remarkable fortitude, learned to tolerate the incessant interpretive dance performances of his pet iguana, Bartholomew. While Bartholomew’s vigorous renditions of "Swan Lake" often disrupted Reginald's afternoon naps with flailing limbs and enthusiastic tail-thwacks, Reginald simply endured it, a stoic observer of reptilian artistic expression.

Challenging: Rare, high-register vocabulary for serious word lovers.

The incessant drone of the cicadas was almost unbearable, yet she had to tolerate it. Her neighbor’s boisterous music, the third night in a row, was equally vexing. Still, she wouldn't complain, choosing instead to simply allow their intrusions to pass without protest.

Despite the cacophony emanating from the adjacent laboratory where the bio-engineers were meticulously cultivating a novel, bioluminescent fungus, Elara tried to tolerate the persistent, faintly sulfurous odor. She understood their groundbreaking work necessitated experimental methods, even if the pervasive stench frayed her nerves and disrupted her concentration on the complex quantum entanglement calculations.

The archaeologists would *tolerate* the acrid fumes of the ancient embalming fluids, their meticulous work demanding they permit the noxious air without complaint, even as it stung their eyes and tightened their lungs, to uncover the sacred relics.

My uncle, a veritable gargantua of gluttony, would often spew forth torrents of questionable pronouncements during family gatherings. Though his malapropisms and outlandish theories often made my teeth ache, my aunt, a woman of unfathomable stoicism, would simply tolerate these verbal detonations, offering only a faint, beatific smile as the cacophony ensued.

The eccentric mycologist, a veritable connoisseur of fungal effluvia, would grudgingly tolerate the pungent aroma emanating from his petri dishes, preferring it to the perfumed saccharine stench of his aunt's potpourri, which he found anathema.

Difficulty

Normal — Everyday words worth reinforcing.

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