adjective
incredulous
in-KRED-yuh-luhss
Incredulous (adjective) means unwilling or unable to believe something, and showing it. Example: “She gave him an incredulous stare when he said he had walked the whole way.”
adjective
1
Unwilling or unable to believe something, and showing it.
"She gave him an incredulous stare when he said he had walked the whole way."
"'You paid what?' he said, incredulous."
How to use incredulous
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishYou can't believe what you have just heard.
When to use it
Neutral to formal; very common in narrative writing.
Memory tip
The noun is incredulity, meaning the state of not believing something.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
Common pairings
incredulous look
frankly incredulous
incredulous laughter
sound incredulous
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She gave him an _____ stare when he said he had walked the whole way.
Etymology
From Latin incredulus, formed from in- 'not' and credulus 'believing', from credere 'to believe'.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for incredulous
See all rhymes for incredulous →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between incredulous and incredible?
Incredulous describes the person who cannot believe something; incredible describes the thing that is hard to believe. The listener is incredulous, the story is incredible. Only people and their expressions can be incredulous.
What is the difference between incredulous and credulous?
They are opposites. Credulous means too ready to believe things, which is a criticism; incredulous means unwilling to believe something, usually because it sounds implausible.
What is the meaning of incredulous?
"incredulous" (adjective) means unwilling or unable to believe something, and showing it.
What is another word for incredulous?
Other words for "incredulous" include disbelieving, sceptical, unconvinced, doubtful, dubious.
