What does equable mean?
Word: Equable
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Equable means calm and slow to get annoyed. Of a climate, it means mild and steady, without sudden swings.
Synonyms: calm, even-tempered
Antonyms: moody
Word origin: Comes from a Latin adjective built on aequus, 'level' or 'even'.
How do you spell equable?
Syllables: eq - ua - ble
Tricky part: After the short e comes a kw sound, and that sound is spelt qu. Students who write what they hear put ekwable.
Watch out for: ekwable, ecwable
Memory tip: Picture a queen who never loses her temper: she lends this calm word her qu.
Equable in a sentence
Example 1: Even on the busiest market day, the old shopkeeper stayed equable and greeted every customer with a smile.
Example 2: Our class teacher has such an equable temper that we find her easy to talk to.
Example 3: The island has an equable climate, so its cricket season runs for months.
Fun Fact
Geographers call the climate of places near the sea equable: water warms and cools slowly, so Mumbai sees a far smaller gap between summer and winter than Delhi does.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
equ____
a) abel
b) ible
c) able
d) eble
Show answer
c) able. This is the everyday ending of readable and washable, placed straight after the qu.
Word Twins
Choose the correct option to fill both blanks:
1. Aunt Meena's ___ nature keeps everyone relaxed during a long train delay. 2. The two captains agreed on an ___ way of sharing the practice time.
a) equitable/equable
b) 'equable' in both
c) equable/equitable
d) 'equitable' in both
Show answer
c) equable/equitable. A nature can be calm, while a way of sharing time can be fair; each word suits only one sentence.
Word Puzzle
Match each word with its synonym:
1. equable 2. diligent 3. lucid a. hard-working b. placid c. clear
a) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
b) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
c) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
d) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
Show answer
d) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c. A placid person is hard to ruffle, a diligent one works hard, and a lucid explanation is clear.
Jumble Tumble
What is the meaning of the word that can be formed from the given letters?
blqeuae
a) keen to argue over very small matters
b) keeping a level temper whatever happens
c) ready to believe whatever one is told
d) showing great skill with the hands
Show answer
b) keeping a level temper whatever happens. Those seven letters spell equable, a word for a person whose mood stays level.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these coaches shows an equable temper?
a) one whose mood changes from hour to hour
b) one who shouts at every small mistake
c) one who sulks when the score goes badly
d) one who stays patient after a heavy defeat
Show answer
d) one who stays patient after a heavy defeat
2. A friend's equable mood is likely to help most when ___.
a) the class must wait in a very long queue
b) the class must lift a heavy wooden table
c) the class needs a loud singer for the choir
d) the class needs the fastest runner in school
Show answer
a) the class must wait in a very long queue
