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
Tricky Terms for April Fool's Day
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Walk Two Moons
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "G"
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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.
Professional and institutional investors turn positive on stocks at the beginning of a bull market, and gradually unload their appreciated equities to more gullible retail investors.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 2026
Or is it more like Freddy Krueger, coming back to haunt the gullible?
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026
"I was naive, foolish, and gullible to put any trust in Jeffrey Epstein," he said.
From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026
Maybe I would have too — I’m really gullible.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2025
My father once said I was as gullible as a fish.
From "Walk Two Moons" by Sharon Creech
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.
