serviceable
adjective
Irving Kolodin 
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Someone who speaks serviceable Spanish isn't fluent in it but gets by pretty well. A serviceable jacket is practical and maybe even rugged. But serviceable sometimes damns with faint praise. A serviceable performance is all right but not inspired. Serviceable curtains aren't the ideal color or pattern, but they serve their purpose. A serviceable pair of shoes is sturdy but won't win you any fashion points.
Synonyms
Examples of serviceable in a Sentence
Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 26 Apr. 2024
Its infinite iterations are pure veneer: bloodless and gutless, serviceable furniture made of the deforested expanse of human experience.
—Rachel Khong, The Atlantic, 25 Apr. 2024
Otherwise, Stellar Blade is a serviceable action romp that occasionally broaches greatness, all set to the strangely hypnotic ambience of jazzy K-pop ballads.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2024
The Dolphins replaced a serviceable defensive tackle, Raekwon Davis, with a nose tackle (Benito Jones) that Pro Football Focus rated as one of the league’s worst starters at his position last season.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2024
Two barely serviceable rear seats provide the stylish convertible with a fig leaf of practicality.
—Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 15 Feb. 2024
Then there's Sam Rockwell, Danny DeVito, and Rebecca Pidgeon, who all turn in serviceable performances for the leads to bounce off of like tennis balls.
—Eric Farwell, EW.com, 27 Oct. 2023
The infatuation between Ponyboy and Cherry (Emma Pittman), which produces a couple of serviceable duets, feels perfunctory and fades into a melange of other conflicts.
—Naveen Kumar, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
With a serviceable receiver in Smythe (35 catches in 43 catches for career-high 366 yards last season) and a very good one in Smith, there will be more motivation to use 12 personnel and less predictability when Miami uses it because neither player is deficient as a blocker or receiver.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'serviceable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near serviceable
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“Serviceable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serviceable. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
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serviceable
adjective
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