Meanings
plural incredulities
- uncountableusuallyUnwillingness or inability to believe; doubt about the truth or verisimilitude of something; disbelief.
Wide went her eyes in wonder and incredulity, as she beheld this seeming apparition risen from the dead.
1916, Edgar Rice Burroughs, chapter 24, in Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar2 more examples
It was a casual sneer, obviously one of a long line. There was hatred behind it, but of a quiet, chronic type, nothing new or unduly virulent, and he was taken aback by the flicker of amazed incredulity that passed over the younger man's ravaged face.
1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 8, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLCAt any other time Jessamy would have laughed at the expressions that chased each other over his freckled face: crossness left over from his struggle with the baby; incredulity; distress; and finally delight.
1967, Barbara Sleigh, Jessamy, Sevenoaks, Kent: Bloomsbury, published 1993, →ISBN, page 122
Synonyms & antonyms
noundoubt about the truth of something
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinincredulus“unbelieving”
- Late Latinincredulitas
- Old Frenchincredulité
- Middle Englishincredulite
- Englishincredulity
Attested since 1430. From Middle English incredulite, from Old French incredulité, from Late Latin incredulitas, from Latin incredulus (“unbelieving”) + -itas (“-ity”), equivalent to incredulous + -ity.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Late Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian недоверчивост, неверие
- недоверчивост (nedoverčivost)unwillingness to believe; doubt about the truth of something
- неверие (neverie)religious disbelief
Dutch ongeloof, ongelovigheid
- ongeloofunwillingness to believe; doubt about the truth of something
- ongelovigheidreligious disbelief
Finnish epäusko, epäilys
- epäuskounwillingness to believe; doubt about the truth of something
- epäilysunwillingness to believe; doubt about the truth of something
- epäuskoreligious disbelief
French incrédulité, incrédulité
- incrédulitéunwillingness to believe; doubt about the truth of something
- incrédulitéreligious disbelief
German Ungläubigkeit, Ungläubigkeit
- Ungläubigkeitunwillingness to believe; doubt about the truth of something
- Ungläubigkeitreligious disbelief
Greek δυσπιστία
- δυσπιστία (dyspistía)unwillingness to believe; doubt about the truth of something
Latin incredulitas
- incredulitasunwillingness to believe; doubt about the truth of something
Māori whakapono tūpato
- whakapono tūpatounwillingness to believe; doubt about the truth of something
Norwegian Bokmål mistro, vantro
- mistrounwillingness to believe; doubt about the truth of something
- vantroreligious disbelief
Portuguese incredulidade, incredulidade
- incredulidadeunwillingness to believe; doubt about the truth of something
- incredulidadereligious disbelief
Romanian incredulitate, scepticism
- incredulitateunwillingness to believe; doubt about the truth of something
- scepticismunwillingness to believe; doubt about the truth of something
- necredințăreligious disbelief
Russian недове́рчивость, недове́рие
- недове́рчивость (nedovérčivostʹ)unwillingness to believe; doubt about the truth of something
- недове́рие (nedovérije)unwillingness to believe; doubt about the truth of something
- неве́рие (nevérije)religious disbelief
Spanish incredulidad, incredulidad
- incredulidadunwillingness to believe; doubt about the truth of something
- incredulidadreligious disbelief
Swedish misstrogenhet, klentrogenhet
- misstrogenhetunwillingness to believe; doubt about the truth of something
- klentrogenhetunwillingness to believe; doubt about the truth of something
Cite this entry
incredulity. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/incredulity
“incredulity.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/incredulity. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “incredulity,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/incredulity.
Source: incredulity on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.