stable
A building, wing or dependency set apart and adapted for lodging and feeding (and training) ungulates, especially horses.
Word facts
Definition of Stable
All the racehorses of a particular stable, i.e. belonging to a given owner.
Example sentences
The horses were kept in a clean, well-ventilated stable at the edge of the farm.
She walked past the stable every morning and heard the horses stirring inside.
Using Stable well
A closer look at how stable is used — meaning in plain English, how close synonyms differ, and examples at different levels.
Firmly fixed and unlikely to change, move, or fall; steady and dependable.
Use it when something stays steady over time, whether a structure, a situation, a mood, or a person's condition. It fits finance, health, engineering, and relationships; note it can also be a noun meaning a building for horses.
Common in medicine ('the patient is stable'), finance and economics, engineering, software ('a stable release'), and describing moods or relationships.
Do not confuse the adjective 'stable' (steady) with the noun 'stable' (a horse barn); they are spelled the same but unrelated in meaning.
- steady
- emphasizes consistency and lack of wobble over time
- secure
- adds a sense of safety from threat or collapse
- solid
- more informal; suggests dependable strength
- settled
- implies things have calmed into a fixed state after change
- balanced
- stresses equilibrium between opposing forces
- unstable
- the direct opposite; liable to change or collapse
- shaky
- informal; suggests wobbling and low confidence
- volatile
- stronger; prone to sudden, unpredictable swings
- precarious
- emphasizes being dangerously close to falling
- Beginner Make sure the ladder is stable before you climb it.
- In writing After a turbulent year, the company's finances finally look stable.
- Advanced The ceasefire is holding, but calling the region stable would be premature.
A stable table doesn't wobble — both stay put.
Synonyms for Stable
Related words
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Words that rhyme with Stable
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FAQ
Questions people ask
What does stable mean?
A building, wing or dependency set apart and adapted for lodging and feeding (and training) ungulates, especially horses. It is a noun.
How many syllables does stable have?
Stable breaks into 2 syllables — stay·buhl — when you say it aloud.
What part of speech is stable?
Stable works as a noun. As a noun, it names a thing, idea, or concept.
What are synonyms for stable?
You can often swap stable for static, sound, firm, steady, though each carries a slightly different shade of meaning.
How do you use stable in a sentence?
Example: "The horses were kept in a clean, well-ventilated stable at the edge of the farm."