credulous
adjective
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The cred in credulous is from Latin credere, meaning “to believe” or “to trust.” Credulous describes people who would be wise to be a bit more skeptical, or things that ought to be approached with some skepticism. The word has a useful opposite in the term incredulous, which often describes something that shows or suggests one’s lack of belief (“listening with an incredulous smile”), or someone who cannot or will not believe something, as in “an outrageous statement that left them incredulous.” (You’ll do well not to confuse incredulous with incredible.)
Examples of credulous in a Sentence
John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
Like so many kid brothers, Andy is so curious and credulous that he can’t be left alone.
—Chris Klimek, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
While Mare blossoms quickly under his guidance, the rest lag doltishly behind, using journalism as a pretext to confront an ex, or getting duped by some teens into writing a credulous account of a preposterous youth trend.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2025
But like populism’s critique of insider politics, the outsider critique of the medical establishment has always struggled to offer an alternative vision that’s rigorous rather than credulous.
—Ross Douthat, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for credulous
Cite this Entry
“Credulous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/credulous. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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credulous
adjective
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