gullibility

Definition of gullibilitynext
as in naïveté
readiness to believe the claims of others without sufficient evidence teased her about her well-known gullibility by repeatedly offering to sell her the Brooklyn Bridge

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gullibility As Nathan notes, the excuses players come up with often test a true fan’s gullibility. Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 20 Aug. 2025 And in a world where time is money, conditions are ripe for a perfect storm of greed, deceit, and willful gullibility—all in the hope of getting ahead faster than the rest. Luis E. Romero, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025 That’s the gullibility these movies tap into — our desire, underneath it all, to believe the impossible. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 Nov. 2025 With no way to secure this crucial boundary, Microsoft and its peers are left to erect complicated and ad hoc guardrails designed to rein in the consequences of this incurable gullibility. Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 16 June 2026 Ignoring the problem of online gullibility felt irresponsible – even negligent. Sam Wineburg, The Conversation, 26 Aug. 2025 These forces—economic uncertainty, political division, and toxic algorithms—work in a vicious cycle to try and tell us that empathy is weakness… that kindness is gullibility… that sincerity is for suckers. Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026 Their bond — both are outsiders who suffered abuse as children — is one of the few emotional soft spots in the otherwise fast-moving series about America’s rotten power structure, manipulative media and the gullibility of the public. Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026 The Enlightenment faith in reason, science, and free speech, already weakened by the First World War, had been devastated by an unprecedented bureaucracy of mass death, sustained by technology, systematic deceit, widespread gullibility, and eager acquiescence. Victor J. Blue, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gullibility
Noun
  • Cape Fear strains credulity a little by making Natalie too easy a mark.
    Scott Tobias, Vulture, 19 June 2026
  • Box Elder is all of that, multiplied to a scale that strains credulity.
    Michael Posner, Forbes.com, 9 June 2026
Noun
  • That belief gives the practice its foundation, though the daily expression shows up in more practical ways.
    Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 7 July 2026
  • The belief that life goes on, even if you’re battered and broken.
    Marissa Stapley, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026
Noun
  • Mixing knits with leather creates texture and contrast in the outfit, while the height and simplicity of these solid-color boots helps ground the overall look.
    Abby Morgan Lebet, Glamour, 6 July 2026
  • Professionals must actively map where their risk truly lies, assessing counterparty exposure, income correlation, and cost repricing, rather than mistaking simplicity for safety.
    Henrik Totterman, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Noun
  • Instead, candidates’ positions on Israel and Gaza, like pledging to cosponsor legislation cutting off some weapons to Israel, are emerging as more of a credibility test, progressives said.
    Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 2 July 2026
  • The frontier model business, which attracted billions in capital on the premise that raw intelligence would be the moat, is facing a structural credibility problem.
    Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Noun
  • The simpleness of the look really allowed the Crocs to stand out and make an impression.
    Tara Larson, Footwear News, 14 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Gullibility.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gullibility. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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