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
Relevance
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
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
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
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
That’s the gullibility these movies tap into — our desire, underneath it all, to believe the impossible.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 Nov. 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
Ignoring the problem of online gullibility felt irresponsible – even negligent.
—Sam Wineburg, The Conversation, 26 Aug. 2025
As Nathan notes, the excuses players come up with often test a true fan’s gullibility.
—Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 20 Aug. 2025
Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
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
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
That’s the gullibility these movies tap into — our desire, underneath it all, to believe the impossible.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 Nov. 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
Ignoring the problem of online gullibility felt irresponsible – even negligent.
—Sam Wineburg, The Conversation, 26 Aug. 2025
As Nathan notes, the excuses players come up with often test a true fan’s gullibility.
—Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gullibility
Noun
-
But that argument deserves scrutiny, not credulity.—
William J. Brady,
Chicago Tribune,
7 June 2026
-
To stretch credulity even further beyond the breaking point, Jamie has to walk an untold distance from her house to the area around the venue in order to put her in alignment with Tom.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
24 May 2026
Noun
-
Recent Pew data shows that roughly 58 million Americans do not affirm belief in any god or universal spirit.—
David Williamson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 June 2026
-
There is now a greater belief that the world may require more oil in the years ahead before oil demand eventually peaks amid rising electric vehicles and electrification.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
There's a certain simplicity to it.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
-
That kind of simplicity is nice.—
Eileen Finan,
PEOPLE,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
The fiber is aligned with industry standards, including ISCC+, USDA BioPreferred and a third party verified Life Cycle Assessment, helping ensure transparency and credibility across the value chain.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
11 June 2026
-
The goal was a technique that felt visually imaginative without undermining the credibility of the drama around it.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gullibility.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gullibility. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
