gullible

adjective

gull·ible ˈgə-lə-bəl

variants or less commonly gullable

Synonyms of gullible next

: easily duped or cheated

selling overpriced souvenirs to gullible tourists

gullibility

ˌgə-lə-ˈbi-lə-tē

noun

gullibly

ˈgə-lə-blē

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 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 Swift’s big-screen self-display catches the youth of the Great Reset at their most gullible. —

Armond White, National Review, 18 Oct. 2023 Heated political rhetoric is not responsible for creating the impression in gullible American minds that the border is a disaster; the empirical crisis at the border has convinced dispassionate observers to call it a crisis. —

Noah Rothman, National Review, 5 Oct. 2023 Stop describing Latino stories as ‘niche:’ My Hispanic Heritage Month wish list Sept. 14, 2023 Since Celeste Arrarás departure, Michelle Galván and Pamela Silva Conde have taken up the mantle of scaring gullible parents and abuelitos. —

Alex Zaragoza, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2023 Since Celeste Arrarás departure, Michelle Galván and Pamela Silva Conde have taken up the mantle of scaring gullible parents and abuelitos. —

Alex Zaragoza, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2023 The gullible committee believed what they were shown. —

Douglas Starr, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Aug. 2023 This film dithers for three hours, as if viewers were also morally uncertain and aesthetically gullible. —

Armond White, National Review, 21 July 2023 Free housing, free travel, endless opportunities to grift your gullible followers, all the Thousand Island dressing you could dream of. —

Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 24 July 2023 See More

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.