gullible
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- gullibility noun
- gullibly adverb
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.
The fundamental problem is that hopeful investors are too often gullible investors.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 6, 2026
Our grandparents weren’t gullible; they encountered threats they didn’t recognize.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026
Maybe I would have too — I’m really gullible.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2025
"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
I can hardly believe he is so gullible that the sailors are able to fool him like this.
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
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.
