gullible

adjective

gull·​ible ˈgə-lə-bəl How to pronounce gullible (audio)
variants or less commonly gullable
: easily duped or cheated
selling overpriced souvenirs to gullible tourists
gullibility noun
gullibly adverb

Did you know?

“Let a gull steal my fries once, shame on the gull; let a gull steal my fries twice, shame on me.” So goes the classic, oft-repeated seaside maxim reminding people to guard against being gullible. Okay, that’s not really how the old saw goes, but on the off chance that you believed our little trick, you yourself were, however briefly, gullible—that is, “easily duped.” The adjective gullible grew out of the older verb gull, meaning “to deceive or take advantage of.” (That gull originally meant “to guzzle or gulp greedily,” and comes from an even older gull meaning “throat, gullet.”) Another relative is the noun gull, referring to a person who is easy to cheat. However, no matter how much the seabirds we call gulls love to pilfer our potatoes, that avian gull has no relation, and is instead of Celtic origin—we promise.

Examples of gullible in a Sentence

I'm not gullible enough to believe something that outrageous. They sell overpriced souvenirs to gullible tourists.
Recent Examples on the Web Chapman, as the affable, slightly gullible, and definitely goofy Anna, is the heart of the show and her openness as someone who just wants to love and be loved is endlessly endearing for the duration of the two-hour and 15-minute runtime. Kathryn Gregory, The Courier-Journal, 31 Jan. 2024 Much of the criticism of Ms. Swift, meanwhile, seems tinged with condescension, suggesting that a 33-year-old female pop star is a gullible naïf, ripe for bamboozling by political operators. James Poniewozik, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2024 That might be a stretch, but DiCaprio is terrific as the gullible dimwit who falls under his uncle’s spell and helps plot the murders of his Osage wife’s family. Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2024 So are gullible journalists like me about to be disappointed again? Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, 1 June 2023 In particular, our incredibly stubborn, often gullible, wanton spender of a mother. Alex Zaragoza, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2024 Alongside fellow Globe nominees Lily Gladstone as Mollie Kyle and Robert De Niro as William King Hale, DiCaprio, 49, plays the gullible — yet culpable — conspirator Ernest Burkhart. Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 8 Jan. 2024 Little meaningful recourse Business leaders who trust that China will change by drawing closer to Western norms are gullible or gamblers. Ram Charan, Fortune, 12 Dec. 2023 The effect of this combination, a mash-up of urgency and complacency — imperturbable emergency? — is dreamlike and a bit maddening, perhaps like Cassandra shouting her warning to the gullible Trojans. Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gullible.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see gull entry 2

First Known Use

1818, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gullible was in 1818

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near gullible

Cite this Entry

“Gullible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gullible. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gullible

adjective
gull·​ible ˈgəl-ə-bəl How to pronounce gullible (audio)
: easily deceived or cheated
gullibility noun
gullibly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on gullible

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!