Word
gullible
US/ˈɡəɫəbəɫ/
UK/ɡˈʌləbəl/
Definition
adj. you use this to describe someone who trusts people too much and is easily tricked.
adj. easily deceived or duped due to a lack of critical judgment or excessive trust.
Examples
“He is so gullible that he believed the moon was made of cheese.”
“Scammers often target gullible people who are too polite to hang up the phone.”
“While some viewed his willingness to invest as a sign of optimism, others considered him dangerously gullible for trusting a business plan with no clear revenue stream.”
Examples
simple
“He is so gullible that he believed the moon was made of cheese.”
contextual
“Scammers often target gullible people who are too polite to hang up the phone.”
complex
“While some viewed his willingness to invest as a sign of optimism, others considered him dangerously gullible for trusting a business plan with no clear revenue stream.”
Pitfall
He is very gullible to believe that story.
He is gullible enough to believe that story.
While 'gullible' describes the person, it is more idiomatic to use 'enough to' or 'to be gullible' rather than 'gullible to [verb]' directly.
Etymology
Origin uncertain. Either from gull (“to dupe, trick, fool”) + -ible; or alternatively from Middle English gole, goll, gol (“an unfledged bird, silly fellow”), perhaps from Old Norse gulr (“yellow, pale”), from the hue of its down.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/gullible