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Synonyms

gullible

American  
[guhl-uh-buhl] / ˈgʌl ə bəl /
Or gullable

adjective

  1. easily deceived or cheated.

    Synonyms:
    green, simple, innocent, naive, trusting, credulous
gullible British  
/ ˈɡʌləbəl /

adjective

  1. easily taken in or tricked

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • gullibility noun
  • gullibly adverb

Etymology

Origin of gullible

First recorded in 1815–25; gull 2 + -ible

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.

Maybe Roher believes this is what our increasingly gullible, truth-challenged citizenry needs from an explanatory doc: a flashy, kindhearted reminder that we’re the change we need to be.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

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

"To come out as a strong critic of Bashir would have been in effect to paint his sister as a gullible fool," writes Webb.

From BBC • Nov. 20, 2025

“The guilt, the terrible, gullible guilt ate up my insides.”

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali

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.