Word
incredulous
Phoneticsin·cred·u·lous
US/ˌɪnˈkɹɛdʒəɫəs/
UK/ɪnkɹˈɛdjʊləs/
Definition
adj. feeling that something is so surprising or unlikely that you cannot believe it is true. You use this when you hear a story that seems impossible.
adj. feeling or showing that something is so unlikely or surprising as to be difficult to believe. Often used to describe a facial expression or a skeptical reaction to a claim.
Examples
“He gave an incredulous look when he heard the news.”
“The crowd responded with an incredulous silence after the magician revealed the impossible trick.”
“She wore an incredulous smile as she read the letter, struggling to reconcile the generous offer with the company's recent financial struggles.”
Examples
simple
“He gave an incredulous look when he heard the news.”
contextual
“The crowd responded with an incredulous silence after the magician revealed the impossible trick.”
complex
“She wore an incredulous smile as she read the letter, struggling to reconcile the generous offer with the company's recent financial struggles.”
Real-World Examples
“The justices sounded incredulous that Aarons was not fully aware of how AI can make mistakes.” “He tells an incredulous Andy that he appreciates sound by feeling it and puts his hand on the musician’s acoustic guitar to demonstrate.” Etymology
Borrowed from Latin incrēdulus (“unbelieving”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/incredulous