incredulousadj.
/ɪnˈkrɛdjʊləs/ 1.
a. Unbelieving; not ready to believe; sceptical. Formerly used of religious unbelief, but no longer applicable in that sense. Const. of, rarely †to.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > belief > disbelief, incredulity > [adjective]
unlevefulOE
unleveOE
misbelievedc1225
untristc1374
unlevablea1382
incredulec1550
uncredible1553
incredible1557
incredulous1578
infidel1607
unbelieving1616
inconvincible1674
unconvinced1675
unconvinciblea1747
misbelievinga1845
unconvinceable1875
society > faith > aspects of faith > theism > atheism > [adjective]
ortrowOE
unbelievedc1200
unbelieffulc1380
untrowfulc1380
mislevefula1382
mistrowablea1382
mistrowfula1382
mistrowinga1382
unfaithfulc1384
faithlessa1400
unbelievinga1400
untrothfula1400
misbelieffula1425
out of beliefa1425
untraistfulc1480
untruthfulc1480
godless1528
irreligious1561
incredulous1578
atheistical1588
athean1611
atheal1612
atheous1612
beliefless1612
nullifidian1661
atheist1667
unreligious1814
nihilistic1848
know-nothing1862
nescient1863
non-theistic1863
agnostical?a1870
agnostic1870
non-theist1913
no-God1923
1578 J. Lyly Euphues f. 69v Harken what they [sc. Scriptures] saye of such as be altogether incredulous.
1582 Bible (Rheims) John iii. 36 He that is incredulous to the Sonne, shal not see life.
1614 S. Latham Falconry ii. iii. 84 I am altogeather incredulous of it, and do know that no man in the world can maintaine it.
1651 T. Hobbes Leviathan iii. xxxvii. 235 It was not..that the end of Miracles was not to convert incredulous men to Christ.
1791 W. Cowper tr. Homer Odyssey in Iliad & Odyssey II. xiv. 475 Thou hast, in truth, a most incredulous mind.
1829 W. S. Landor Wks. (1846) I. 425/2 They call it philosophical to be incredulous on holy things.
1835 A. Alison Hist. Europe during French Revol. IV. xxx. 249 They were ignorant or incredulous of the rapid change.
b. Of action, etc.: Indicating or prompted by incredulity.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > belief > disbelief, incredulity > [adjective] > of action: prompted by incredulity
incredulous1613
1613 S. Purchas Pilgrimage 223 I perceive by your incredulous smiles, you will scarce beleeve.
1864 Ld. Tennyson Enoch Arden in Enoch Arden, etc. 46 The woman gave A half-incredulous, half-hysterical cry.
a. Not to be believed; = incredible adj. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > belief > disbelief, incredulity > [adjective] > unbelievable
unlevelyOE
untrowablea1382
incredible1412
unbelievedc1425
inopinable?a1475
unbelievable1548
discredible1580
too good to be true1580
incomprehensible1604
incredulousa1616
intestablea1631
inconceivable1646
unpersuasive1651
inconceptiblea1676
a1616 W. Shakespeare Twelfth Night (1623) iii. iv. 78 No obstacle, no incredulous or vnsafe circumstance. View more context for this quotation
1631 J. Weever Anc. Funerall Monuments 554 Miracles..will be thought incredulous in this age.
1646 Sir T. Browne Pseudodoxia Epidemica vii. xviii. 380 Unto some it hath seemed incredulous what Herodotus reporteth of the great Army of Xerxes. View more context for this quotation
1649 W. Blith Eng. Improver xix. 111 They..make such vast Improvements, as to raysing Corne and Grasse also, as is incredulous.
1750 W. Warburton Julian in Wks. (1811) VIII. 207 The crosses on the garments..must appear a very incredulous circumstance.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > high or intense degree > [adverb] > extremely or exceedingly > incredibly
incrediblyc1500
incredulous1533
uncredibly1565
inconceivably1651
1533 Bonner Let. to Hen. VIII in Burnet Hist. Ref. (1715) III. Collect. Records 38 The Pope, whos Sight is incredulous quick, eyed me, and that divers tymes.
Derivatives
inˈcredulousness n. incredulity.
ΚΠ
1727 in N. Bailey Universal Etymol. Eng. Dict. II
1755 in S. Johnson Dict. Eng. Lang.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1900; most recently modified version published online September 2021).
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adj.1533