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.
What’s more, what the father-and-son combination of Ed and Steve Sabol created in NFL Films provides an incredible library for future projects.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026
That red was potted, but, out of position, Higgins then missed the following black, although it did not prove crucial as he sealed an incredible victory, having trailed 8-3 and 9-4.
From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026
The numbers are incredible for a company founded in 2002 to make life multiplanetary.
From Barron's • Apr. 26, 2026
“That’s quite incredible because I joke that 70 percent of Americans wouldn’t agree that water is wet,” they said.
From Salon • Apr. 26, 2026
It made a ticking noise as it churned through Enigma settings at incredible speed, eliminating wrong solutions far faster than possible by hand.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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.
