incredulous
Americanadjective
-
not credulous; disinclined or indisposed to believe; skeptical
-
indicating or showing unbelief.
an incredulous smile.
adjective
Synonym Usage
See doubtful.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of incredulous
From the Latin word incrēdulus, dating back to 1525–35; see in- 3, credulous
Explanation
If you are incredulous, that means you can't or won't believe something. If you tell people about those aliens you met the other night, they'll probably give you an incredulous look. Incredulous is the opposite of credulous, which means "believing too easily." Both words come from the Latin word credere, which means "to believe." Incredulous is stronger than skeptical; if you're incredulous, you refuse to believe something, but if you're skeptical, you're doubtful but you haven't ruled it out completely. If someone insists that your best friend is actually an underworld spy, you'll probably look at them with incredulous anger.
Vocabulary lists containing incredulous
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 1
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The Outsiders
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Lord of the Flies
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She’s still incredulous that anyone would think of her to play Alice Chilton, a coach for A.F.C.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
"To have something like this happen here is just incredulous," she said.
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026
Ardent Donald fans recall his wife’s response when he retired in 2024, and followers were incredulous that he would do so with seemingly plenty of outstanding football ahead of him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
“There are many types of beauty,” he tries to explain to an incredulous Abigail.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 7, 2026
And they both just seemed incredulous that, with all this evidence, Reggie would contest the charges and there would have to be a trial at all.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
