incredible

adjective

in·​cred·​i·​ble (ˌ)in-ˈkre-də-bəl 

1

: too extraordinary and improbable to be believed

making incredible claims

2

: amazing, extraordinary

incredible skill

an incredible appetite

met an incredible woman

incredibility

(ˌ)in-ˌkre-də-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

incredibleness

(ˌ)in-ˈkre-də-bəl-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• fantastic
• fantastical
• implausible
• inconceivable
• incredulous
• unbelievable
• uncompelling
• unconceivable
• unconvincing
• unimaginable
• unthinkable

Examples of incredible in a Sentence

The movie tells an incredible story of survival.

I find his explanation pretty incredible.

Incredible as it may seem, she's had no formal training as an artist.

It's incredible to me that such a lazy person could be so successful.

a landscape of incredible beauty

The new job is an incredible opportunity.

We have put an incredible amount of work into this project.

Recent Examples on the Web

Hike to the top of Mary’s Rock for incredible views of the Shenandoah Valley, or hop on Skyline Drive for the scenic drive of a lifetime. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 2 Nov. 2024

Regaining his strength After intense physical therapy, Chris Smith has made incredible strides. —Annabelle Allen, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2024

In Mexico, for example, INAH has made a lot of lidar data available to the public, which has led to incredible discoveries. —Anna Lagos, WIRED, 2 Nov. 2024

Like a fine mole, magical realism requires incredible complexity to yield something that is then perceived as quite simple. —Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin incredibilis, from in- + credibilis credible

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

incredible

adjective

in·​cred·​i·​ble (ˈ)in-ˈkred-ə-bəl 

1

: unbelievable

an incredible story

2

: extraordinary

incredible skill

incredibility

(ˌ)in-ˌkred-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē

noun

incredibly

(ˈ)in-ˈkred-ə-blē

adverb

Etymology

Middle English incredible "too unusual to be believed," from Latin incredibilis (same meaning), from in- "not" and credibilis "believable," from credere "to believe, trust, entrust" — related to credentials, credit, creed