What does sensible mean?
Word: Sensible
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Sensible means showing good judgement and making practical, reasonable choices.
Synonyms: wise, reasonable, practical, prudent
Antonyms: silly, unwise
How do you spell sensible?
Syllables: sen - si - ble
Tricky part: The ending is -ible, not -able: sensable is the usual mistake.
Watch out for: sensable, sensibel, sensibal
Memory tip: A sensible person says 'I think first', and that I belongs in the ending, -ible.
Sensible in a sentence
Example 1: It was sensible of Rohan to carry a raincoat on the monsoon trek.
Example 2: Wear sensible shoes for the school picnic, not your new sandals.
Example 3: The most sensible thing to do is ask the guard for directions.
Fun Fact
In French and Spanish, the word that looks like sensible actually means sensitive. Learners of those languages often get caught by this false friend.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word sensible as used in the sentence:
Leaving the stove on while going out for an hour was not a sensible thing to do.
a) foolish
b) thoughtful
c) careful
d) level-headed
Show answer
a) foolish. Level-headed, thoughtful and careful all describe good choices; foolish is the opposite.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to complete the word:
s_n_ible
a) i, s
b) e, s
c) a, s
d) e, c
Show answer
b) e, s. The word starts like sense: an e after the first s, then another s before -ible.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
Wearing comfortable shoes for the long walk was a lbesisen choice.
a) feasible
b) sensitive
c) sensible
d) visible
Show answer
c) sensible. The jumble has two s's and an n but no t, v, f or a, so sensible is the only fit.
Spell-o-Spell
Three of these words are spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word:
1. modest 2. sensible 3. thoughtfull 4. sincere
a) not boasting about yourself
b) honest and meaning what you say
c) kind and caring about the needs of others
d) wise in everyday choices
Show answer
c) kind and caring about the needs of others. Thoughtfull has one letter too many at the end; sensible, sincere and modest are correct.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. During a thunderstorm, the sensible choice is to ____.
a) stay indoors away from windows
b) swim in a lake
c) fly a kite in an open field
d) stand under a tall tree
Show answer
a) stay indoors away from windows
2. Packing for a two-day school trip, a sensible student would take ____.
a) five comics and no toothbrush
b) only a torch and some sweets
c) a water bottle and spare clothes
d) a heavy bag of board games
Show answer
c) a water bottle and spare clothes
