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
Derived 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.
Egyptian Abdulhamid Shahata, who moved to Libya in 2014, said reconstruction projects provided many workers with "incredible opportunities".
From Barron's • Jun. 6, 2026
One incredible moment off a U.S. foot could change all that, making sports bars explode and then dominate TikTok.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
In parallel with this, the incredible rise of large language models, such as ChatGPT, has raised the serious possibility that machines may be conscious.
From Science Daily • Jun. 5, 2026
The incredible evening session masks questions of England's batting.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026
The incredible part is that these people, who have suffered so greatly and been through so much, are fans.
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
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.
