Incredulous or Incredible?

By Ranjana S.

Credulous or Credible? 

• It's an incredible story!
• He looked incredulously at the sight.
• He is such a credulous person that he believes whatever he hears.
• If you sound incredulous then you exhibit skepticism.
• A report, an account, a story is incredible if it is difficult to believe.
• A person is incredulous if he is inclined to disbelief what he sees or hears.
• A person is considered to be incredible if his/her actions, his/her personality, or his/her attitudes cause disbelief.
• A person is credulous if he believes what he hears when there is little evidence to support such belief.
• If the person is willing to believe everything in excessive, he might be more effectively be described by the stronger adjectives-naive or gullible.

A credible story is that warrants belief. Look at the following sentences:

§  You are too (credible-----incorrect , credulous----correct); don't you know how to distinguish fact from fancy?

§  Why did you look so (incredible---incorrect, incredulous----correct ) when I told you about the incident?

§  She's an(incredulous----incorrect, incredible----correct) person. It's difficult to believe that such a person can exist.

§  He has the most (incredulous----incorrect, incredible---correct ) character.

§  Raima stared(incredibly----incorrect, incredulously----correct) at Peter refusing to believe that he could do this to her.

§  The grandfather told an (incredulous----incorrect, incredible---correct) story of his youth.

§  Today the climate is(incredulously----incorrect, incredibly----correct)hot.

§  I believe that what you are saying is truth; at least it's a (credulous----incorrect, credible----correct) explanation.