gullible
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of gullible
Explanation
If you are gullible, the joke is on you because you are easily fooled. It is thought that gullible might be derived from the verb gull, meaning "to swallow." This would be a funny coincidence as gullible describes an overly trusting person who tends to swallow the stories he hears whole. The related word, gull, can be used as a noun "don't be such a gull!" or as a verb "you can't gull me into believing that!"
Vocabulary lists containing gullible
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"I was naive, foolish, and gullible to put any trust in Jeffrey Epstein," he said.
From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026
And the message-board-born concept of a “lolcow,” a gullible user who can be goaded into making a fool of themselves on a regular basis, definitely predated the music video.
From Salon • Feb. 16, 2026
The fundamental problem is that hopeful investors are too often gullible investors.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 6, 2026
Our grandparents weren’t gullible; they encountered threats they didn’t recognize.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026
And was she just being gullible, thinking this person was really writing to her?
From "Chasing Vermeer" by Blue Balliett
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
