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. )

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

Incredibly, trial lawyers fought these small beer changes, which the Citizens Budget Commission estimates could save drivers some $200 a year.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

Incredibly, Culver City High‘s boys’ volleyball team had just two home matches this season and still won a Southern Section Division 6 championship last week.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026

Incredibly it recorded a seven week losing streak to start 2026 but rebounded with a robust 22% gain two weeks ago.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

Incredibly, it was the team's first Six Nations hat-trick since Jonny May against France in 2019.

From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026

Incredibly, he did not even seem much interested.

From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Related Words

• especially
• fabulously
• strangely
• uncommonly