English vocabulary · C1
Incredulous
/ɪnˈkredʒələs/ · adj.
Being incredulous means you find something too strange to believe at first. You feel very sure that what you just heard cannot be true.
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Example sentences
- Incredulous, she checked the price twice.
- He gave an incredulous laugh.
Word origin and roots
from Latin
- in — not (from Latin)
- cred — believe (from Latin)
Synonyms and nuances
- DOUBTFUL — not certain (Not sure it is true)
- SKEPTICAL — not easily convinced (Want proof first)
- UNSURE — not sure yet (Still deciding)
Words with the same root
cred — believe
- credit — trust given to a person
- credible — able to be believed
- credo — a statement of beliefs
Lesson notes
Being incredulous means you find something too strange to believe at first. You feel very sure that what you just heard cannot be true.
Related: doubtful, skeptical, unsure. Use incredulous when you doubt.
Incredulous, she checked the price twice. He gave an incredulous laugh.
From Latin. In- means not. Cred- means believe. You do not believe the gold is real: incredulous.