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
- incredibility noun
- incredibleness noun
- incredibly adverb
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.
“For sure I’m just more comfortable around that circuit. Every year we go back to Long Beach it’s just incredible the performance that we’re able to put on.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026
His two key findings: The stock market is incredible at generating wealth for its shareholders, but those returns come from relatively few companies.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026
“So now I’m back, the same but a little older and I know a little more, and it’s such an incredible journey,” Kani said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026
Members of the Cambridge University Space Flight Society said the "incredible" expedition was the first of its kind they had seen in their lifetimes, with the last manned moon mission being 1972.
From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026
What Chase saw was a sixth-grade girl with incredible courage.
From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith
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.
