incredulous
adjective
in·cred·u·lous
(ˌ)in-ˈkre-jə-ləs 
-dyə-ləs
2
: expressing incredulity
an incredulous stare
incredulously
adverb
Can incredulous mean 'incredible'?: Usage Guide
Sense 3 was revived in the 20th century after a couple of centuries of disuse. Although it is a sense with good literary precedent—among others Shakespeare used it—it is widely regarded as an error resulting from confusion with incredible, and its occurrence in published writing is rare.
Examples of incredulous in a Sentence
"Afraid not." I made an expression to show that I was as incredulous about this as he was.
—
Bill Bryson, I'm a Stranger Here Myself, 1999
A tweed-encased fogey, he's allergic to technology, persnickety about language, and incredulous that anyone could object to his incessant smoking.
—John Powers, Vogue, March 1998
He was greeted with incredulous laughter.
—Robert M. Hutchins, Center Magazine, September 1968
… no obstacle, no incredulous or unsafe circumstance …
—William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, 1602
She listened to his explanation with an incredulous smile.
He was incredulous at the news.
Many people were incredulous that such a small fire could have caused so much damage.
Bill Bryson, I'm a Stranger Here Myself, 1999
A tweed-encased fogey, he's allergic to technology, persnickety about language, and incredulous that anyone could object to his incessant smoking.
—John Powers, Vogue, March 1998
He was greeted with incredulous laughter.
—Robert M. Hutchins, Center Magazine, September 1968
… no obstacle, no incredulous or unsafe circumstance …
—William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, 1602
She listened to his explanation with an incredulous smile.
He was incredulous at the news.
Many people were incredulous that such a small fire could have caused so much damage.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jens Stoltenberg, who was then secretary-general, was incredulous.
—Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
Researchers have just confirmed what could be the largest leak ever, with an almost incredulous 16 billion login credentials, including passwords, exposed.
—Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
After 12 Days Tony Botti, a public information officer for the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said during the news conference that officials are incredulous that Slaton was able to travel so far via bicycle and on foot.
—Jillian Frankel, People.com, 15 May 2025
In a TikTok video, the woman shared the shaky video her boyfriend took, receiving over 980,000 views and over 1,600 comments from incredulous TikTokers.
—Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incredulous
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Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
Researchers have just confirmed what could be the largest leak ever, with an almost incredulous 16 billion login credentials, including passwords, exposed.
—Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
After 12 Days Tony Botti, a public information officer for the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said during the news conference that officials are incredulous that Slaton was able to travel so far via bicycle and on foot.
—Jillian Frankel, People.com, 15 May 2025
In a TikTok video, the woman shared the shaky video her boyfriend took, receiving over 980,000 views and over 1,600 comments from incredulous TikTokers.
—Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incredulous
Cite this Entry
“Incredulous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incredulous. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
incredulous
adjective
in·cred·u·lous
(ˈ)in-ˈkrej-ə-ləs
: feeling or showing an inability to believe something : skeptical
listened with an incredulous smile
incredulously
adverb
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