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.

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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

Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said the life jacket was an "incredibly iconic and poignant item with a superlative provenance".

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

Beta wasn’t an expert in any of the subjects that he had to master in order to write this book, and yet he dives incredibly deep whenever it is called for.

From Salon • Apr. 14, 2026

An incredibly efficient shooter, Brown has size and is a three-level scorer who has been a top perimeter defender in the Big 12 and Big Ten.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

It sounds like you are going through something incredibly difficult, and I am very concerned for you.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

“Officer Salzburg arrived yesterday afternoon to discuss increasing security measures here at the mountain, and considering recent events, we are incredibly relieved to have his services.”

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Related Words

• especially
• fabulously
• strangely
• uncommonly