Words / C2

in-KRED-y-uh-l-uh-s/ɪnˈkredjələs/

Incredulous means unwilling or unable to believe: an incredulous stare, incredulous that…. Incredible is “hard to believe / excellent” — the classic mix-up (you are incredulous; the story may be incredible). Credulous (already in the dictionary) is too ready to believe. Do not write incredulous for a person who simply has not read the appendix.

Meaning

Unable or unwilling to believe something.

Examples

• “The auditor was incredulous that the CSV lived in a shared drive.”
• “Incredible is the story, not the face. Credulous is gullible (already in C2). Incredulity is the noun. If the folder is still unopened, the problem is search, not belief. Raise an eyebrow after you have looked.”

Good to know

Unwilling to believe. Mix-up: incredible (the thing). Opposite: credulous (too ready to believe). Look in the folder first.

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