Doable
adjective
Definition
1. (adjective) Possible to do — achievable, manageable, and realistic given the time, resources, or effort available.
Context Alive
Your boss asks if you can finish the report by Friday. You look at what's left — three sections, a chart, and a final edit. It's tight, but it's doable. You tell her yes. By Thursday night you're still working on the chart, but you make it.
Meanings
1 meanings 1 Possible to Do — Achievable (Adjective) Very Common ▼
This meaning is about something being realistic and achievable — not easy necessarily, but within reach if you put in the effort. Imagine looking at a to-do list with twelve tasks on it and thinking "that's a lot, but it's doable if I start early" — you're saying it can be done even if it requires work. This is describing something that falls within the range of what is practically possible. You might say "the deadline is tight but doable" when you think you can finish on time if you push, or someone could say "is this doable with our current budget?" to ask whether a plan is realistic with the money available. Or think about a friend suggesting you run a half marathon next month — you'd think about your fitness and say either "that's doable" or "no chance." The word is practical and honest — it doesn't promise it'll be easy, just that it's possible.
✏️ Doable is informal and extremely common in everyday speech and workplace conversations. It sits between "easy" and "impossible" — if something is doable, it means you'll need effort but the outcome is realistic. It's often used as a one-word response: "Can you have it ready by Monday?" "Doable." The opposite — not doable or undoable — is used but much less common; people usually just say "that's not going to work" or "that's too much."
Common Patterns
Basic Structures
that's doable → a short, confident response meaning yes, it can be done
"Can you finish by Thursday?" "Yeah, that's doable."
doable + with/within + noun → achievable given specific constraints like time, money, or resources
The project is doable within the budget if we cut the extras.
perfectly / totally doable → emphasising that something is easily achievable — no real doubt
Running 5K is perfectly doable — you just need a few weeks of training.
Common Structures
is this / that doable? → a question asking whether something is realistic and possible
We want to launch by March — is that doable?
tight but doable → difficult and close to the limit, but still achievable
The schedule is tight but doable if everyone stays focused.
make it doable → to adjust something so it becomes achievable
If we split the work between two teams, that makes it doable.
Collocations
10 collocationsperfectly doable
completely achievable — no real difficulty involved
totally doable
informal emphasis that something can definitely be done
tight but doable
close to the limit of what's possible, but still realistic
doable within the budget
achievable without going over the available money
doable in a day / week
possible to complete within a specific time frame
easily doable
achievable without much difficulty at all
make something doable
to adjust conditions so a task becomes realistic
is that doable?
a practical question about whether something can be achieved
seems doable
appears realistic based on first impression
barely doable
right at the edge of what's possible — almost too much
Example Sentences
10 examples
1
"Can you paint the whole room by tomorrow?" "It's tight, but it's doable."
"Is it possible to finish painting the room by tomorrow?" "It'll be close, but I can manage it."
2
Running a marathon sounds extreme, but with six months of training it's absolutely doable.
A marathon seems like a lot, but with half a year of preparation it's completely realistic.
3
We checked the numbers and the renovation is doable within our budget.
After looking at the figures, we confirmed that the renovation can be done without overspending.
4
She looked at the to-do list and decided it was doable if she started immediately.
She glanced at the list and figured she could get through everything as long as she began right away.
5
Is a same-day delivery doable, or would that be too tight?
Can we realistically get the delivery there today, or is the time frame too short?
6
The exam is hard, but if you revise properly it's perfectly doable.
The test is challenging, but with good preparation there's no reason you can't pass it.
7
If we add one more person to the team, the deadline becomes doable.
With just one extra team member, we'd be able to hit the deadline realistically.
8
He asked for a 20% discount — I thought about it and said it was doable.
He wanted 20% off — I considered it and agreed that it was possible.
9
Cooking for twelve people sounds scary, but it's doable if you plan the menu in advance.
Making dinner for twelve seems overwhelming, but it's manageable with a bit of planning.
10
The hike is long but doable — even beginners finish it without too much trouble.
It's a long walk, but it's realistic for anyone — even people with no hiking experience get through it.
Synonyms & Antonyms
6 items
Synonymsfeasible
more formal — often used in business and planning to mean practically possible
achievable
slightly more formal than doable — focuses on reaching a goal
manageable
emphasises that something can be handled without being overwhelmed
Antonymsimpossible
cannot be done under any circumstances
unrealistic
theoretically possible but not practical given the constraints
overwhelming
too much to handle — beyond what feels doable