incredibly

American  

[in-kred-uh-blee] / ɪnˈkrɛd ə bli /

adverb

1. in a way that is extraordinary, seemingly impossible, or difficult to believe; incredulously.

   Incredibly, we have already raised $750.

2. very; extremely.

   Your hair will be left incredibly soft, supple, and shiny.

   I found the incredibly uncomfortable seats a real distraction—tall people beware.

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Usage

Incredibly and, somewhat less commonly, incredulously can both be used to mean “unbelievably,” as in It was an incredulously/incredibly expensive flight. They both share the roots of in, meaning “not,” and crēdere, meaning “to believe,” so this shared meaning of “not able to be believed” is rooted in their etymology. Beware, however: they both also have other senses that are not synonyms. Incredibly can mean “very” or “extremely,” but incredulously is not used that way: This is an incredibly exciting moment for me. Incredulously can mean “disbelievingly,” but incredibly is not used that way: She stared at the painting incredulously, skeptical of its veracity .

Etymology

Origin of incredibly

First recorded in 1500–10; incredib(le) ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )

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Explanation

You can use the adverb incredibly to mean "extremely," like your best friend's incredibly disturbing Halloween costume. The word incredibly describes anything that is so fantastic, you almost doubt it's real. You might describe an incredibly fast runner or your incredibly strange French teacher. Incredibly can also describe amazement, like incredibly, someone returned your missing wallet, with everything still in it. The Latin root is incredibilis, "that cannot be believed."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

incredibly

Not just because she usually presents as smart and happy and sharply dressed on stage or because she’s doing incredibly well in her comedy career, or even just because she’s a millennial.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026

Made entirely from woodcuts, these visually sumptuous objects are the subject of a show that looks at their incredibly short history, appearing for just three decades.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

In that respect, extreme climbing is an incredibly selfish endeavor.

From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2026

Leadbeater said she had met the actor at Huddersfield Town and corresponded with him several times, adding: "He was incredibly kind and he will be greatly missed."

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

Her eyes were incredibly sad, as if she realized something had changed in Frank—something much more important than the physical growth spurt.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

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Related Words

• especially
• fabulously
• strangely
• uncommonly

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