incredulous
Meaning: Feeling or showing an inability or unwillingness to believe something; expressing disbelief or scepticism in response to something surprising or unlikely.
Incredulous describes the person who disbelieves, not the thing that is unbelievable — a crucial distinction from 'incredible,' which is one of the most common confusions in English. An incredulous stare is a look of disbelief; an incredible story is one that is hard to believe. The word is overwhelmingly used to describe reactions — facial expressions, tones of voice, responses — and collocates with 'look,' 'stare,' 'expression,' 'tone,' 'gasp,' and 'silence.' It appears frequently in narrative fiction, interviews, and news reporting.
Examples
- The jury exchanged incredulous glances as the witness described seeing the defendant in two places at once. 当证人描述在两个地方同时看到被告时,陪审团成员交换了难以置信的目光。Los miembros del jurado intercambiaron miradas incrédulas cuando el testigo declaró haber visto al acusado en dos sitios a la vez.証人が被告を同時に二か所で目撃したと述べた際、陪審員たちは信じられないという眼差しを交わした。증인이 피고를 동시에 두 곳에서 목격했다고 진술하자, 배심원들은 믿을 수 없다는 눈빛을 주고받았다.
- She gave him an incredulous look when he suggested they could walk the twenty miles to the station before nightfall. 当他提议在天黑前步行二十英里到车站时,她向他投去了难以置信的目光。Ella le dirigió una mirada incrédula cuando él sugirió que podrían recorrer a pie los treinta kilómetros hasta la estación antes del anochecer.日没前に駅まで20マイル歩けると彼が提案したとき、彼女は信じられないといった目で彼を見た。해가 지기 전에 역까지 20마일을 걸어갈 수 있다고 그가 제안하자, 그녀는 믿기지 않는다는 표정으로 그를 바라보았다.
- Viewers responded with incredulous disbelief to the announcement that the long-running series had been cancelled without warning. 观众对这部长期播出的连续剧未经预警便被取消的消息表示了难以置信的惊愕。Los espectadores reaccionaron con incrédula estupefacción al anuncio de que la serie de larga duración había sido cancelada sin previo aviso.長寿番組が予告なく打ち切られるという発表に、視聴者は信じられない思いで反応した。시청자들은 장수 프로그램이 예고 없이 종영된다는 발표에 믿을 수 없다는 반응을 보였다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: general, academic
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
From Latin incredulus (unbelieving), from in- (not) and credulus (believing, credulous), from credere (to believe). Entered English in the late 16th century.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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