Incredible

Pronunciation

• enPR: Ä­nkrÄ•'dÉ™bÉ™l, IPA: /ɪnˈkrÉ›dÉ™bÉ™l/

Origin

From Latin incrēdibilis ("that cannot be believed"), from in- ("not") + crēdibilis ("worthy of belief"), from crēdō ("believe").

Full definition of incredible

Adjective

1. Too implausible to be credible; beyond belief; unbelievable. from 15th c.
• 1980 September 16, Senator John Glenn, quoted in William A. Schwartz et al., The Nuclear Seduction: Why the Arms Race Doesn’t Matter—And What Does, University of California Press (1990, 1993), ISBN 0-520-06134-9, page 29:I get lost in what is credible and not credible. This whole thing gets so incredible when you consider wiping out whole nations, it is difficult to establish credibility.
• 2009, Diarmaid MacCulloch, A History of Christianity, Penguin 2010, page 796:He therefore found revealed religion incredible in a literal sense, and, as Bayle had done before him, he radically separated morality from the practice of organized religion.
2. Amazing; astonishing; awe-inspiring.He was so wrapped up in watching the incredible special effects that he couldn't keep track of the story.
3. Marvelous; profoundly affecting; wonderful.I had such an incredible slice of pizza last night that I simply can't think about anything else.

Synonyms

• unbelievable

Related terms

• credibility
• credible
• creed
• incredibility
• incredibly