soluble

soluble — adjective

1. A soluble substance can dissolve in a liquid, breaking down into its smallest pa

1.形容詞B2
釋義

A soluble substance can dissolve in a liquid, breaking down into its smallest parts and mixing evenly with it.

例句

Sugar is soluble in water, but oil is not.

pattern: be soluble in [liquid]

Vitamin C is highly soluble, so the body absorbs it quickly.

collocation: highly soluble

同義詞
  • dissolvable

    less technical than soluble; focuses on the physical process of dissolving

  • miscible

    technical term for liquids that mix in any proportion; does not apply to solids or gases

反義詞
  • insoluble

    the direct opposite; cannot be dissolved in a given liquid

文法句型

be soluble in [liquid]

用法筆記

Typically followed by in to specify the liquid (e.g., soluble in water, soluble in alcohol). The opposite is insoluble. The comparative and superlative forms are rare — solubility is usually treated as a binary property.

常見錯誤

❌The sugar dissolved soluble in water.
✅The sugar is soluble in water.
💡soluble is an adjective, not a verb; the verb form is dissolve.
❌This material is soluble by heat.
✅This material dissolves when heated.' or 'This material is soluble in hot water.
💡use in, not by, to name the liquid.

2. A problem, difficulty, or mystery that is soluble can be resolved or figured out

2.形容詞C1
釋義

A problem, difficulty, or mystery that is soluble can be resolved or figured out successfully.

例句

The political dispute turned out to be less soluble than experts had hoped.

figurative: dispute as subject

Maeve told her students that every maths problem was soluble with enough patience.

soluble with [condition]

同義詞
  • solvable

    the more common everyday word for problems that can be solved

  • resolvable

    slightly more formal; often used for disputes, conflicts, or dilemmas

  • fixable

    informal; used for practical problems or mechanical issues

反義詞
  • insoluble

    also used figuratively; e.g., an insoluble mystery or insoluble conflict

  • unsolvable

    more common in everyday English for problems with no solution

文法句型

be soluble

用法筆記

This figurative sense is much less common than the chemical sense. It is most often found in formal or academic writing. Typical subjects are problem, mystery, difficulty, question, dispute, or case.

常見錯誤

❌The problem is dissolvable.
✅The problem is soluble.
💡dissolvable refers only to physical substances; use soluble for abstract issues.
❌The issue is very soluble.
✅The issue is perfectly soluble.' or 'The issue is easily solved.
💡intensify with adverbs like easily or perfectly, not very.