incredulous
Americanadjective
-
not credulous; disinclined or indisposed to believe; skeptical
-
indicating or showing unbelief.
an incredulous smile.
adjective
Related Words
See doubtful.
Other Word Forms
- incredulously adverb
- incredulousness noun
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.
“People have been very incredulous of government promises.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
Travelers at the airport Monday who heard about the vote were incredulous.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2026
Mitchell's family had been led to believe he had been cremated in a private ceremony and were "incredulous" when police told them his body was still at the funeral home, the jury was told.
From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026
Curious onlookers filmed the scene on their smartphones, many still incredulous at the speed and magnitude of the day's events.
From Barron's • Jan. 4, 2026
She laughed—a little incredulous, a little nervous, a little pleased.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
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.
