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.
Synonyms
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
People were shocked by the war, incredulous, and grieving.
—Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2025
The initial discovery was made by undergraduate researchers, who returned from the field site in Briones Regional Park earlier this year with videos of the squirrels’ behavior to show their incredulous supervisors.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Dec. 2024
Other academics were less incredulous, suggesting that the paper was a wild goose chase — a phrase itself invented by Shakespeare.
—David Hodari, NBC News, 1 Nov. 2024
Pavlovich is incredulous that Chase is willing to take the blame for his mentor’s murderer and forgo vengeance against the man who murdered his daughter.
—Sarene Leeds, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for incredulous 
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Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2025
The initial discovery was made by undergraduate researchers, who returned from the field site in Briones Regional Park earlier this year with videos of the squirrels’ behavior to show their incredulous supervisors.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Dec. 2024
Other academics were less incredulous, suggesting that the paper was a wild goose chase — a phrase itself invented by Shakespeare.
—David Hodari, NBC News, 1 Nov. 2024
Pavlovich is incredulous that Chase is willing to take the blame for his mentor’s murderer and forgo vengeance against the man who murdered his daughter.
—Sarene Leeds, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for incredulous
Dictionary Entries Near incredulous
Cite this Entry
“Incredulous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incredulous. Accessed 29 Jan. 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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