incredulous

USAGE SUMMARY

'incredulous' is a correct and usable word in written English.
It is an adjective that describes someone who cannot believe something or is skeptical of it. Example sentence: I was incredulous at the news that my BFF had just gotten married.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"How can you [force] closure?" she asks, incredulous.

The Guardian

Commonly, as I rode, children ran alongside, shouting, people thronged, incredulous at this western woman, alone on a motorbike, unable to make even my "xin cha" (hello) understood in their tonal language.

The Guardian - Travel

Mr Kibaki, for his part, said Mr Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement was making unreasonable demands and trying to politicise the civil service.Kenyans and diplomats alike are incredulous.

The Economist

More than once, incredulous shoppers handed over cash-stuffed books to the guests manning the till.

The Economist

"Perhaps people are already at work," suggests a friend, incredulous.

The Economist

This view left Justice Alito, who concurred in the holding but for different reasons, incredulous.

The Economist

Since Microsoft is a profit-maximising firm, and since it is not charging the monopolist's profit-maximising price, Mr Schmalensee deduces that it cannot be a monopoly.At this the government's attorney was incredulous.

The Economist

The families of the dozens he had killed as informers were incredulous.

The Economist

The myth that the budget deficit was caused by Labour "overspending" has become such a "fact" in the minds of the public that Ed Miliband was greeted with incredulous abuse by the studio audience when he tried, very mildly, to put the record straight.

The Guardian

Do they feel good after killing the people?" Afrah Qureshi said Sara's father was incredulous at first, when she had a conversation with him in English.

The Guardian

"More than two hundred schoolgirls!" Eight months on, she still sounds incredulous as she recalls the moment she heard Boko Haram had kidnapped more than 300 students in north-eastern Nigeria.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "incredulous" to precisely convey a state of disbelief or skepticism, especially when someone finds something difficult to accept as true or possible. It's effective in describing reactions to surprising or unlikely events.

Common error

Avoid confusing "incredulous" with "incredible". "Incredulous" describes a person's disbelief, while "incredible" describes something that is difficult to believe or is exceptionally good. For example, say "He was incredulous at the story" not "The story was incredulous".

Linguistic Context

The adjective "incredulous" primarily functions to describe a subject's state of disbelief or skepticism towards a statement, event, or situation. Ludwig AI confirms that it is a valid adjective, as demonstrated in the Ludwig examples where individuals or groups react with disbelief.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

57%

Encyclopedias

9%

Science

9%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The adjective "incredulous" effectively conveys disbelief or skepticism, as confirmed by Ludwig AI. It is grammatically correct and commonly found in diverse sources, including News & Media, Encyclopedias, and Science, according to Ludwig's analysis. Its purpose is to communicate surprise or doubt, distinguishing it from "incredible", which describes something hard to believe. Using "incredulous" precisely can enrich writing by accurately portraying a character's reaction or a situation's reception.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

skeptical

Focuses on doubt and questioning the truth or validity of something.

disbelieving

Highlights the inability or refusal to accept something as true.

unconvinced

Emphasizes a lack of persuasion or acceptance of an idea or statement.

doubtful

Indicates uncertainty and a lack of confidence in something.

questioning

Suggests an attitude of inquiry and scrutiny.

dubious

Implies a hesitance or reluctance to believe something.

astonished

Focuses on the surprise and amazement caused by something unexpected.

amazed

Highlights a feeling of wonder and surprise.

flabbergasted

Emphasizes being overwhelmed with shock and disbelief.

aghast

Suggests a feeling of horror or shock combined with disbelief.

FAQs

How to use "incredulous" in a sentence?

Use "incredulous" to describe someone's reaction when they are unable or unwilling to believe something. For instance, "She gave an "incredulous" look when he claimed he'd won the lottery."

What can I say instead of "incredulous"?

You can use alternatives like "skeptical", "disbelieving", or "unconvinced" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Which is correct, "incredulous" or "incredible"?

"Incredulous" describes a person's state of disbelief, while "incredible" describes something that is difficult to believe or exceptionally good. Make sure to use each word in its appropriate context to avoid confusion.

What's the difference between "incredulous" and "skeptical"?

Both words relate to doubt, but "incredulous" often implies a stronger sense of disbelief or shock, while "skeptical" suggests a more reasoned or habitual tendency to question claims.