ENGLISH
REFERENCE

gullible

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈɡəɫəbəɫ// UK //ɡˈʌləbəl// gullible

adj. easily tricked or fooled because you trust people too much. If you believe everything people tell you, even when it sounds impossible, you are this.

adj. easily deceived or cheated; prone to believing improbable claims without sufficient evidence. Often used predicatively after linking verbs like 'be' or 'seem'.


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.

Synonyms
Origin

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.

Usage

Typically follows a linking verb or precedes a noun. Often paired with 'enough to' followed by an infinitive.

Pitfall

He is very gullible of the news.He is very gullible about the news.Gullible is not typically followed by 'of'; use 'about' or 'regarding' to specify the subject of the belief.

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