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

The buildings themselves, he added, are incredibly dangerous for firefighters.

From BBC

Coady “had an incredibly bright future ahead of him,” the spokeswoman said.

From The Wall Street Journal

They carry no electric charge and have almost no mass, which makes them incredibly difficult to detect.

From Science Daily

“This is a devastating loss, and our hearts are with his loved ones, his crewmates, and the entire fishing community during this incredibly difficult time.”

From Los Angeles Times

At sentencing, Wu said he found Boylan “incredibly remorseful” and that he had not “intended to do something bad.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• especially
• fabulously
• strangely
• uncommonly