Slightly believable

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "Slightly believable" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is somewhat credible or plausible, but not entirely convincing. Example: "The story he told was slightly believable, but I had my doubts about its authenticity."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

Slightly less believable to outsiders would be the industrial quantities of ink, megabytes and breath that have been expended this week on the desire of Collingwood's zero-game midfielder Nathan Freeman to orchestrate a trade to St Kilda.

The Guardian - Sport

The group discussed each recommendation and voted on how believable (believable, somewhat believable, or not believable) the evidence was.

British Medical Journal

Evidence was believable or somewhat believable against a recommendation for 1 in 8-10 recommendations.

British Medical Journal

That may be because Danny, an aspiring writer who works in the bar beneath their apartment, is a slightly more believable character from the start.

The New York Times - Arts

In other (slightly more believable) royal news, Kate and William are apparently contemplating baby names.

Huffington Post

On the day before my first exam I didn't come in, to make it only slightly more believable.

Vice

This year I went for something slightly more believable and many degrees less flattering: I told my entire network that I'd adopted two more cats.

Huffington Post

If the attempted frame-up had happened in one of the gang neighborhoods of Los Angeles where he used to prosecute shootings, rather than in a rich, placid city in Orange County... if the cop who found the stash of drugs in Kelli Peters' car had been a rookie, rather than a sharp-eyed veteran … if she had been slightly less believable..

Los Angeles Times

Andy Dehnhart of MSNBC said that "while the writers and production designers deserve credit for offering worlds that were perhaps slightly more believable, they lost the fantastic, wondrous approach to space travel that The Next Generation borrowed from the original Star Trek and then perfected".

Wikipedia

In his approach to directing the film, Guest sought to make "a slightly wild story more believable" by creating a "science fact" film, shot "as though shooting a special programme for the BBC or something".

Wikipedia

In some ways, he's an ordinary bloke – he likes a fag and a pint, he's not above telling piss-taking scaffolders to fuck off and has a believable sex life (ie slightly unsatisfactory).

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "slightly believable", ensure the context provides some rationale for the limited degree of credibility. This helps the audience understand why it's not entirely convincing.

Common error

Avoid using "slightly believable" when the situation clearly indicates something is entirely unbelievable. It can create a confusing or contradictory impression.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "slightly believable" functions as an adjective phrase, modifying a noun to describe its level of credibility. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is grammatically correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Science

33%

Wiki

32%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "slightly believable" is a grammatically correct and usable adjective phrase, as validated by Ludwig AI. It functions to express a qualified assessment of credibility, indicating that something is believable to a limited extent. While found across various contexts like News & Media and Science, it maintains a neutral register. When employing this phrase, ensure the context offers some rationale for this measured degree of credibility and avoid using it where the situation clearly indicates complete implausibility. Consider alternatives such as "somewhat credible" or "partially plausible" for nuanced expressions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Somewhat credible

Suggests a moderate level of believability, similar to "slightly believable".

Somewhat convincing

Expresses a moderate level of persuasiveness, similar to "slightly believable".

Partially plausible

Indicates that only a part of something is believable, slightly reducing the overall credibility.

Barely convincing

Highlights a minimal level of persuasiveness, close to being unbelievable.

Passably believable

Indicates just enough believability to be acceptable.

Kind of credible

An informal way of expressing a degree of believability that is not strong.

Arguably credible

Suggests that the believability is debatable, but present to some degree.

Mildly persuasive

Focuses on the ability to convince, but only to a small extent.

Vaguely plausible

Denotes a weak sense of believability, close to being implausible.

Tinged with credibility

Implies that believability is just a small part of something's overall character.

FAQs

How can I use "slightly believable" in a sentence?

You can use "slightly believable" to describe a story, excuse, or explanation that has some elements of truth but is not entirely convincing. For example, "His excuse for being late was "slightly believable", but I suspect he was just avoiding work".

What's the difference between "slightly believable" and "completely believable"?

"Slightly believable" suggests a partial level of credibility, while "completely believable" indicates full and total conviction. The former implies some doubt or skepticism, whereas the latter denotes full acceptance.

Are there situations where "slightly believable" should be avoided?

Yes, avoid using "slightly believable" in formal or critical contexts where absolute certainty or verifiable evidence is required. In such cases, strive for more definitive terms like "credible" or "confirmed".

What are some alternatives to "slightly believable" that I can use?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives such as "somewhat credible", "partially plausible", or "barely convincing" to convey a similar meaning with different nuances.