Credulous describesexplains what someone or something is like or means someone who is too ready to believe things, especially when there is little evidencefacts or proof that support a claim or belief. It can also suggest a lack of judgment or experience that makes a person easy to deceiveto make someone believe something false.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-02. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /ˈkrɛdʒələs/
Easy pronunciation: KRED-juh-lus (approximate spelling).
Stress: Primary stress on the first syllable.
Adjective meaning too willing to believe things without enough proof.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-02. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Credulous Meaning
too willing to believe things without enough proof
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: disposed to believe on little evidence
Example: He was so credulous that he believed the scam right away.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-02. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Credulous
Meaning 2
naive and easy to mislead because of poor judgment or inexperience
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: showing a lack of judgment or experience
Example: Her credulous response showed how inexperienced she was.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-11-02. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Credulous Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- naive
- gullible
- uncritical
showing a lack of judgment or experience
- naive
- gullible
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-11-02. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Do not confuse credulous with incredulous. Credulous means easy to believe; incredulous means hard to believe.
- Credulous is usually negative and suggests too much trust or insufficient skepticism.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-02. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does credulous mean?
Credulous means too ready to believe something, especially when there is little evidence.
Is credulous the same as gullible?
They are close in meaning. Gullible is often the more common everyday word, while credulous is a little more formal.
What is the opposite of credulous?
Incredulous is a common opposite in the sense of not easily believing something.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-02. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
