dur ‧ a ‧ ble /ˈdjʊərəb ə l $ ˈdʊr-/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: Latin durare 'to continue in existence' ]
1 . staying in good condition for a long time, even if used a lot SYN hard-wearing :
Wood is a durable material.
2 . continuing for a long time SYN long-lasting :
His poetry has proved durable.
—durably adverb
—durability /ˌdjʊərəˈbɪləti, ˌdjʊərəˈbɪlɪti $ ˌdʊr-/ noun [uncountable]
⇨ ↑ consumer durables
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THESAURUS
■ not easily broken or damaged
▪ strong not easily broken or damaged:
The bags are made of strong black plastic.
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We need a strong rope for this job.
▪ tough strong – used especially about something that can be used a lot without damaging it or making it weaker:
a pair of tough leather boots
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Kitchen floors need to be tough enough to withstand heavy use.
▪ heavy-duty [only before noun] extremely strong – used about materials, tools, machines etc that are made especially to be used a lot without being easily damaged:
heavy-duty rubber gloves
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a heavy-duty carpet for the hallway
▪ sturdy strong and often thick, and not likely to fall over or get broken:
a fence made with sturdy wooden posts
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The furniture is simple but sturdy.
▪ unbreakable extremely strong and impossible to break:
Babies need to have unbreakable dishes and cups.
▪ indestructible impossible to break, damage, or destroy, and lasting forever:
Gold is virtually indestructible.
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The pyramids were built as indestructible tombs for the Pharaohs.
▪ hard-wearing British English , long-wearing American English used about materials and products that will remain in good condition for a long time even when they are used a lot:
Ceramic tiles are easy to keep clean and hard-wearing.
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a hard-wearing fabric
▪ durable especially written used about materials and products that will remain in good condition for a long time – often used on product labels:
The jacket has a durable nylon lining.
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Varnish is more durable than paint.
▪ robust especially written strongly made – used especially about the structure of something, for example a vehicle or machine:
a mountain bike with a robust frame
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The hardware for the computer must be robust and inexpensive.