incredulous

adjective

(ˌ)in-ˈkre-jə-ləs How to pronounce incredulous (audio)
Definition of incredulousnext
1
as in skeptical
inclined to doubt or question claims incredulous by nature, I'm of course very suspicious of anyone who claims to be able to communicate with the dead

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in incredible
too extraordinary or improbable to believe an incredulous account of alien abduction that the tabloids had a field day with

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 incredulous California‘s seven Supreme Court justices appeared by turns perplexed by and incredulous of those theories during oral arguments last month. — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026 Those reporting her firing or the incredulous facts supporting that fiction have exhibited a complete and utter reckless disregard for the truth. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 4 Sep. 2026 When a boater posted footage of the new island on social media, incredulous officials thought the video was AI-generated, according to the New York Times. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 2 Sep. 2026 Besides, there are tree branches to bundle, coupons to clip, guacamole to toss out, incredulous news reports to run through Snopes and at least 20 spam texts to block. — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for incredulous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incredulous
  1. skeptical
  2. incredible
  3. suspicious
  4. unlikely
  5. cautious
  6. impossible
  7. disbelieving
  8. unbelievable
Adjective
  • Others are skeptical the task force can accomplish much in such a short time period, arguing that eventually sweeping new legislation will be needed to regulate AI.
    — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Though Netflix is profitable, analysts say the company hasn’t produced enough hits and are skeptical of its plans to grow its subscriber base.
    — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of skeptical
Adjective
  • The quick thinking to observe, to then park and follow someone into the school is incredible and undoubtedly saved people.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
  • There's an incredible amount to explore between northern lights hunting sessions.
    — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of incredible
Adjective
  • For all current and former Florida residents, FLHSMV recommended taking precautions, including monitoring financial accounts and reviewing credit reports for any suspicious activity.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Researchers at iVerify discovered it while investigating a suspicious infection in August 2026.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of suspicious
Adjective
  • Despite the hefty reservation payments, the Roadster is unlikely to become a major revenue source for Tesla.
    — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The deal was therefore unlikely to meaningfully strengthen Russia's war finances, Aleksashenko said.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of unlikely
Adjective
  • For now, a Super El Niño offers a reason for cautious optimism — not a promise of a drought-busting winter.
    — Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • People with certain medical conditions should be particularly cautious about intense, high-speed rides.
    — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of cautious
Adjective
  • Well, not necessarily unhittable, but impossible to score runs against.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The documentary contains, through her participation and performance, the accommodation that facts alone are insufficient and maybe impossible.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of impossible
Adjective
  • During one scene, Scherrman appears for a few seconds as the catcher in a game interrupted by Timothy Busfield, the disbelieving brother-in-law of Kevin Costner's character Ray Kinsella.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • During one scene, Scherrman appears for a few seconds as the catcher in a game interrupted by Timothy Busfield, the disbelieving brother-in-law of Kevin Costner’s character Ray Kinsella.
    — Dave Campbell, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of disbelieving
Adjective
  • What Zoe [Kazan] has done with Steinbeck’s East of Eden is just unbelievable.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Marking 20 years as a band last month, and realizing we’ve been nominated 19 times for vocal group of the year, is unbelievable.
    — Melinda Newman, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of unbelievable

Browse Nearby Words

incredulity
incredulous
incredulously
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Cite this Entry

“Incredulous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incredulous. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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