incredibly

[in-kred-uh-blee]

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 .

Word History and Origins

Origin of incredibly¹

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

Example Sentences

The ability to relocate production makes 3D printing incredibly flexible, according to Mr Logtenberg.

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"It was incredibly terrifying and incredibly traumatic and damaging," she says.

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“I’m incredibly impressed with a lot of the work he’s done,” said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, whom Crow has hosted on campus.

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"We would also ask the public to respect the privacy of family members at what is an incredibly difficult time for them, and to not speculate about these events."

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"It was incredibly stressful because the price of groceries has gone up, the cost of living in general is ridiculous," said Ms Secord, who finally landed a receptionist role in early November.

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Related Words

• especially 
• fabulously www.thesaurus.com
• strangely www.thesaurus.com
• uncommonly