Credulous
/ˈkrɛdʒələs/
adjectiveC1
Definition
Credulous means that someone easily believes what they are told, even if it might not be true. This often happens when a person trusts others too much or does not check facts carefully. It can sometimes lead to being tricked or fooled.
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See It in Action
Easily believing things without enough proof
- •She was so credulous that she believed every email scam.
- •Credulous people can be targets for fraud or lies.
- •The advertisement fooled the credulous customers.
Showing too much trust or faith in others' words
- •His credulous nature made him listen to rumors without checking.
- •Teachers should help students avoid being credulous by teaching critical thinking.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "credulous" like "believe," but more than usual—someone who believes almost everything without questions
- ✓Picture a child who believes in fairy tales or magic because they trust adults and stories easily
- ✓It's the feeling when you want to trust people so much that you don’t think twice about what they say
- ✓Sounds like "CRED-ulous" → imagine someone giving credit (trust) to everything they hear, even if it's not real
- ✓Think of the story of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf"—people were no longer credulous after many lies
- ✓NOT like "skeptical" (doubts and questions), credulous means trusting too much without doubt
- ✓NOT like "gullible" (similar meaning but often used in informal speech), credulous sounds more formal and describes a general tendency
- ✓NOT like "naive" (innocent or inexperienced), credulous focuses on being too ready to believe, not just innocence
Try Other Words
- •Gullible: easily fooled or tricked (Use in informal or spoken contexts)
- •Naive: innocent or lacking experience (Use when focusing on innocence rather than belief)
- •Trusting: ready to believe or rely on others (Use when the belief is positive or neutral)
- •Unsuspecting: not aware of danger or trickery (Use when focusing on being unaware rather than belief)
Unboxing
- •Prefix/root/suffix: "cred-" (from Latin "credere" meaning "to believe") + suffix "-ulous" (an adjective ending meaning "full of" or "having the quality of")
- •Etymology: From Latin "credulus," meaning willing to believe or trusting
- •Historical development: Used in English since the 1600s to describe someone who believes too easily
- •Modern usage: Often used to describe people who are too trusting or easily fooled, especially in formal or literary language
Reflect & Connect
•Can being credulous ever be a good quality? When might trusting others be helpful?
•How can people protect themselves from being too credulous in everyday life?
Fill in the blanks
1.She was so credulous that she ___ every story without checking the facts.
2.Being credulous often leads to ___ because people take advantage of trust.
3.Unlike a skeptic, a credulous person ___ information without doubt.
4.The phrase "credulous listener" means someone who ___ what they hear easily.
5.When someone is credulous, they often ___ warnings or advice about lies.
6.Advertisers sometimes use tricks to make credulous customers ___ their products.
7.To avoid being credulous, it is important to ___ information carefully before believing it.