incredible
Americanadjective
-
so extraordinary as to seem impossible.
incredible speed.
-
not credible; hard to believe; unbelievable.
The plot of the book is incredible.
- Synonyms:
- preposterous, astonishing, far-fetched
adjective
-
beyond belief or understanding; unbelievable
-
informal marvellous; amazing
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of incredible
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English word from Latin word incrēdibilis. See in- 3, credible
Explanation
If it's hard to believe and hard to wrap your head around, it just might be incredible. A hurricane in Kansas would certainly be incredible, but keeping your bedroom tidy all week counts too. Incredible is commonplace and perhaps overused but it still fits the bill whenever life is beyond expectation. The Latin root credere means believe. Slap an in in front of that root, and something incredible is hard to believe.
Vocabulary lists containing incredible
Believe It or Not: Cred
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"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 26–31
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Commonly Confused Words, List 1
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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.
“One of the amazing things about our capitalist system is that venture-backed companies have this incredible ability to go out and raise capital for interesting ideas,” Loeb said.
From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026
Next to him in central midfield was Spanish playmaker Cesc Fabregas - who notched up an incredible 111 assists and 50 goals across 350 Premier League appearances for Arsenal and Chelsea.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
Jensen Huang, the chief executive of the world's most valuable company, said "Taiwan is booming" and Nvidia's investment, up from $100 billion, will "fuel an incredible ecosystem here".
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
That incredible speed generates a powerful flow of electrons and positrons, which are the antimatter versions of electrons.
From Science Daily • May 27, 2026
Schmid recalled later that “for a second, I didn’t know what to do. Then I stopped Spassky’s clock, breaking the rules. But somehow I had to get that incredible situation under control.”
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
