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. )

Example Sentences

Standards were incredibly high last week, as you would expect for a semi-final.

From BBC

“And, man, when you put out as much as our group does and you care so much about something and you come up short, it’s incredibly disappointing.”

From Los Angeles Times

I only found it incredibly presumptuous for him to believe he’d never again change a diaper.

From Los Angeles Times

She wasn’t an incredibly political writer, but she was always writing to her time.

From Los Angeles Times

“And incredibly supportive through all of it, through the challenges and through the most recent great moments.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• especially
• fabulously
• strangely
• uncommonly