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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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.
As with UFOs, the press has generally played a gullible, distracting role, focusing on Terminator robots and AI-caused mass unemployment.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026
Only one of them, Sean “Poopies” McInerney, a surf bro so gullible that I’m not sure he’s capable of informed legal consent, fits into “Best and Last” like a well-worn punching bag.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2026
"People say that victims are gullible but the scams are put together well", they are very "sophisticated", said a source close to the investigation.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
"I was naive, foolish, and gullible to put any trust in Jeffrey Epstein," he said.
From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026
Everybody laughs, even their mother, for Maria Teresa’s voice is bursting with gullible excitement.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
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.
