WORD OF THE DAY
If you are incredulous, that means you can't or won't believe something. If you tell people about those aliens you met the other night, they'll probably give you an incredulous look.
Incredulous is the opposite of credulous, which means "believing too easily." Both words come from the Latin word credere, which means "to believe." Incredulous is stronger than skeptical; if you're incredulous, you refuse to believe something, but if you're skeptical, you're doubtful but you haven't ruled it out completely. If someone insists that your best friend is actually an underworld spy, you'll probably look at them with incredulous anger.
Want to expand your vocabulary?
Get Word of the Day delivered straight to your inbox!
Commonly confused words with incredulous
incredible / incredulous
Incredible describes something you can’t believe because it’s so right, like an incredible double rainbow. Incredulous describes how you feel when you can’t believe something because it’s so wrong, like when someone tells you leprechauns left two pots of gold.
read moreVocabulary lists containing incredulous
On the SAT, all of the Reading Test questions are multiple choice and are based on reading passages that may be taken from literature, science, the social sciences, or a U.S. founding document (or a text inspired by such a document). Many of the reading comprehension questions meant to assess a student’s understanding of those passages will require students to choose words that best describe the writer’s tone or point of view, words like the 25 words you see on this list. Learn them here so when you see them in an SAT answer choice, you’ll know what they mean! Following our Roadmap to the SAT? Head back to see what else you should be learning this week.
In the 1960s, tensions between two rival gangs separated along economic lines reach a violent breaking point.
When they are marooned on a deserted island, a group of schoolboys attempts to form a new society.
On Christmas Eve, cruel penny-pincher Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by three spirits who show him visions of his past, present, and future.
You can believe in this list of words derived from the Latin root cred, meaning "to believe."
