# susceptible

/səˈsɛptəbəɫ/ (US) · /səsˈɛptəbəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/susceptible
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. vulnerable to illness

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

likely to be affected by a particular disease or medical condition.

For teachers: yielding readily to a pathogen or medical condition; lacking immunity or resistance.

- Older people are often more susceptible to the flu during the winter months.
- Patients with compromised immune systems remain highly susceptible to opportunistic infections that healthy individuals would easily repel.

Usage: Usually followed by the preposition 'to'.

### 2. easily influenced

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

easily influenced or affected by emotions or other people's ideas.

For teachers: easily influenced by feelings, suggestions, or the persuasive efforts of others.

- He was very susceptible to flattery and believed everything his boss told him.
- The advertisement was specifically designed to target young consumers who are often more susceptible to social pressure and trend-driven marketing.

Usage: Usually followed by the preposition 'to'.

### 3. capable of being changed

adjective · CEFR C2 · Academic · Formal

able to be treated, changed, or understood in a certain way.

For teachers: capable of undergoing a specific process or being interpreted in a particular manner.

- The problem is susceptible to a simple solution if we look at the data.
- The poet's later works are susceptible to various interpretations, depending on the reader's understanding of the historical context.

Usage: Usually followed by the preposition 'to'.

### 4. an at-risk person

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a person who is likely to catch a disease because they have no protection against it.

For teachers: an individual within a population who lacks immunity to a specific infectious agent.

- The goal of the vaccine is to protect the susceptibles in the community.
- Epidemiologists track the ratio of susceptibles to immune individuals to predict how quickly a virus might spread through a city.

## Examples

- He is very susceptible to colds in the winter.
- Older buildings are often more susceptible to fire damage because of their wooden structures.
- The research suggests that certain genetic markers may make some individuals more susceptible to chronic inflammation than the general population.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.