incredible

[in-kred-uh-buhl]

See more synonyms for incredible on Thesaurus.com

adjective

so extraordinary as to seem impossible: incredible speed.
not credible; hard to believe; unbelievable: The plot of the book is incredible.

Origin of incredible

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English word from Latin word incrēdibilis. See in-³, credible

Related formsin·cred·i·bil·i·ty, in·cred·i·ble·ness, nounin·cred·i·bly, adverb

Can be confusedincredible incredulous

Synonyms for incredible

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2. farfetched, astonishing, preposterous.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for incredible

unbelievable, unimaginable, preposterous, improbable, ridiculous, absurd, inconceivable, great, fabulous, awe-inspiring, awesome, unreal, astounding, astonishing, extraordinary, amazing, wonderful, prodigious, superhuman, glorious

Examples from the Web for incredible

Contemporary Examples of incredible

And that gets to the heart of what makes the game so incredible: By staying silent, it turns the player into the game master.
Lost For Thousands of Strokes: 'Desert Golfing' Is 'Angry Birds' as Modern Art
Alec Kubas-Meyer
January 2, 2015
They are impressive animals, solitary hunters blessed with incredible power and athleticism.
This Tiger Has Some Serious Ups
Jack Holmes, The Daily Beast Video
January 2, 2015
From writer Gail Simone to artist Fiona Staples, there are incredible women already working in the industry.
Wonder Woman Takes a Big Step Back
Hugh Ryan
December 16, 2014
The amount of love and support that was given to me through the blog was incredible.
Blogger Shares and Shames Cancer in ‘Lily’
Amy Grantham
December 9, 2014
It has been incredible to explore so many artistic avenues when it comes to having a dialogue about a very serious disease.
Blogger Shares and Shames Cancer in ‘Lily’
Amy Grantham
December 9, 2014

Historical Examples of incredible

He joyed to observe that these men of incredible millions had no hauteur.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
They went with an incredible rapidity, and Harriett was now fifty.
Life and Death of Harriett Frean
May Sinclair
Already the carrion birds had gathered in incredible numbers.
The Leopard Woman
Stewart Edward White
It was the sensation of an unprecedented and incredible experience.
The Secret Agent
Joseph Conrad
Then she was gone, trundling the baby-carriage with incredible speed.
The Yates Pride
Mary E. Wilkins Freeman

British Dictionary definitions for incredible

incredible

adjective

beyond belief or understanding; unbelievable
informal marvellous; amazing

Derived Formsincredibility or incredibleness, nounincredibly, adverb

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

Word Origin and History for incredible

adj.

early 15c., "unbelievable," from Latin incredibilis "not to be believed," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + credibilis "worthy of belief" (see credit). Used c.1400 in a now-extinct sense of "unbelieving, incredulous." Related: Incredibly.