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.
It is a quite incredible turn of events, reminiscent of when United's Norman Whiteside was called into Northern Ireland World Cup squad in 1982, also after just two senior appearances.
From BBC • May 31, 2026
“This is a district that has been devastated by cuts to healthcare, a large Medicaid population, so she’s an incredible candidate and definitely can speak to the issues needed on health care.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026
“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
“Income is an incredible ballast to a portfolio in times of stress,” said Alexandra Wilson-Elizondo, Goldman Sachs Asset Management’s co-chief investment officer and co-head of multi-asset solutions.
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
Of course, Booth was gone, but they searched his trunk and discovered an incredible and mysterious letter to Booth signed only “Sam” that described a large conspiracy against the Union government.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
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.
