durable
Strong enough to last a long time without breaking.
durable in a sentence
- These boots are so durable that Dad has worn them on rocky hikes for ten years.
- The castle walls were so durable that they still stood strong after eight hundred years of storms.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to durable?
- Aweak
- Bflimsy
- Cbreakable
- Dstrong
Show the answer
D: strong. The other three mean the opposite of durable.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to durable?
- Aweak
- Bstrong
- Ctough
- Dsturdy
Show the answer
A: weak. The other three mean nearly the same as durable.
Words that mean something similar
strong, sturdy, tough
Words that mean the opposite
weak, flimsy, breakable
Careful: durable is not sturdy
Durable is about time. Sturdy is about build. Read why children mix them up.
More words about time & change
- ebb: To slowly get weaker or drain away, like the tide going out.
- elapse: To go by or pass, used when talking about time.
- endure: To put up with something difficult for a long time.
- ensue: To happen straight after something else, often because of it.
- evolve: To change and develop slowly over time.
- fatal: Causing death, or leading to complete failure.
- fleeting: Lasting only a very short time.
- frequent: Happening often.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test