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credulous

Adjective

IPA /ˈkredʒələs/

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Meaning in plain English

Too willing to believe what people say without checking it, which makes someone easy to mislead or deceive.

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Pronunciation

credulous/ˈkredʒələs/

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An advert makes an unbelievable promise
A credulous buyer believes it without checking

Being credulous means accepting claims too easily and becoming easy to deceive.

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A credulous buyer might believe every promise in that advert.
The lecturer warned us against being credulous when evaluating online claims.

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A ________ buyer might believe every promise in that advert.

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credulous — Too willing to believe what people say without checking it, which makes someone easy to mislead or deceive.

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Too willing to believe what people say without checking it, which makes someone easy to mislead or deceive.

Compare: A credulous buyer might believe every promise in that advert.

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Word origin

From Latin credulus, related to credere, meaning believe.

Did you know?

Credulous describes the person who believes; credible describes something that deserves belief.

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