Meaning

Excessively ready to believe things; gullible..

Definitions by Sense

1. Excessively ready to believe things; gullible.
2. Believed too readily.

Example Sentences

[…]purſued his vnneighbourly purpoſe in ſuch ſort: that hee being the ſtronger perſwader, and ſhe (belike) too credulous in beleeuing or elſe ouer-feeble in reſiſting, from priuate imparlance, they fell to action; and continued their cloſe fight a long while together, vnſeene and vvithout ſuſpition, no doubt to their equall ioy and contentment.

The doctor was a small, black, plump man with fuzzy hair and round, credulous eyes.

'Twas he possess'd me with your credulous death

In the beginning of the ſixteenth century, John Major and Hector Boethius publiſhed their hiſtories of Scotland, the former a ſuccinct and dry vvriter, the latter a copious and florid one, and both equally credulous.

The powerful mind of Aristotle, which led him to reject with disdain the credulous tales and fabulous stories of the age, can nowhere be traced in the writings of Pliny, whose works, on the contrary, abound in fables and in prodigies, at once manifesting that weakness of mind inseparable from credulity, or that disinclination to investigate truth, which is the sure mark of a secondary order of intellect.

The media (and politicians) are replete with credulous stories about machine learning and AI, but these stories are often based on commercial claims.

Word Forms

• more credulous
• most credulous

Synonyms for credulous

Antonyms for credulous

Related Words

When Should You Use Credulous?

Use credulous when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

Practice This Word

Frequently Asked Questions