incredibly

American  

[in-kred-uh-blee] / ɪnˈkrɛd ə bli /

adverb

1. in a way that is extraordinary, seemingly impossible, or difficult to believe; incredulously.

   Incredibly, we have already raised $750.

2. very; extremely.

   Your hair will be left incredibly soft, supple, and shiny.

   I found the incredibly uncomfortable seats a real distraction—tall people beware.

---

Usage

Incredibly and, somewhat less commonly, incredulously can both be used to mean “unbelievably,” as in It was an incredulously/incredibly expensive flight. They both share the roots of in, meaning “not,” and crēdere, meaning “to believe,” so this shared meaning of “not able to be believed” is rooted in their etymology. Beware, however: they both also have other senses that are not synonyms. Incredibly can mean “very” or “extremely,” but incredulously is not used that way: This is an incredibly exciting moment for me. Incredulously can mean “disbelievingly,” but incredibly is not used that way: She stared at the painting incredulously, skeptical of its veracity .

Etymology

Origin of incredibly

First recorded in 1500–10; incredib(le) ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )

Explanation

You can use the adverb incredibly to mean "extremely," like your best friend's incredibly disturbing Halloween costume. The word incredibly describes anything that is so fantastic, you almost doubt it's real. You might describe an incredibly fast runner or your incredibly strange French teacher. Incredibly can also describe amazement, like incredibly, someone returned your missing wallet, with everything still in it. The Latin root is incredibilis, "that cannot be believed."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

incredibly

“It has been incredibly troubling to see the rise of a movement that is predicated on an exclusionary vision,” Mamdani said this week.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

Clancy's case is "an incredibly distressing and rare outcome of postpartum psychosis," Wilson told AFP.

From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026

"To see so many choughs successfully breeding and feeding across the Lizard is incredibly encouraging and highlights the importance of continuing to care for this special landscape for future generations."

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

But before it became mythical, it was only incredibly hard.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

It seemed impossible that markets could be found for such quantities—or that so many animals existed—but so it was, incredibly.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya

Related Words

• especially
• fabulously
• strangely
• uncommonly