incrediblein‧cred‧i‧ble /ɪnˈkredəbəl/ ●●○ S3 adjective 
The view is just incredible. There was blood everywhere and the pain was incredible.► see thesaurus at good2too strange to be believed, or very difficult to believe SYN unbelievable: It’s incredible that he survived the fall. It’s incredible how much Tom has changed since he met Sally. I find it almost incredible that no one noticed these errors.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- an incredible story of survival
- It is incredible that the police still haven't caught him.
- She's an incredible dancer.
- The divorce rate in the U.S. is pretty incredible.
- This factory was capable of producing an incredible 100 cars per hour.
- Winning the championship was an incredible feeling.
- After beating incredible odds to prove himself a classroom genius, Steven has been cruelly snubbed by prospective employers.
- Do you know-this is pretty incredible actually-I once saw Ringo Starr.
- For one incredible moment, Merrill knew a stab of envy of Elise.
- He has an incredible understanding of what needs to be done.
- It's an incredible confidence-inspiring drive.
- It is really quite incredible that, after ten months, Councillor Buchanan should still be unaware of such basic facts.
- The panorama from this point was incredible, a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree vision of natural grandeur.
THESAURUSextremely good
extremely good: · Your English is excellent.· She’s a superb teacher.
especially spoken extremely good: · It’s a great film.· Her cooking is wonderful.· That’s a terrific idea!
British English especially spoken extremely good: · The play was absolutely brilliant.
extremely good, in a surprising and exciting way: · New York is an amazing place.· The skating has been incredible in this competition.
used about weather that is very pleasant and sunny: · It’s a beautiful day.· The weather was just glorious.
much better than other places, people etc: · an outstanding performance· The service is always first-class.
unusually good: · Occasionally, we get a student with exceptional talent.· a woman of exceptional beauty
especially American English informal very good: · The movie was awesome.
spoken to be extremely good: · Their chocolate cake is just out of this world!
extremely good or of very high quality: · His English was excellent.· an excellent piece of work
spoken extremely good. Great is less formal than excellent, and is the usual word to use in everyday spoken English: · ‘Did you have a good holiday?’ ‘It was great!’· He did a great job as captain.
spoken extremely good. These words sound even more excited than great or excellent: · ‘I passed my exam.’ ‘That’s fantastic!’· Last year Jess had a terrific season, averaging eleven points a game.· The trip will be a wonderful opportunity for the children.
extremely good in a surprising and exciting way: · an amazing view of Tokyo· The trip was an incredible experience.
extremely good – used especially when you are very impressed by something: · The acting was superb.· There is a superb range of cheeses.
of a high quality and much better than most others: · The service is first-class.· a first-class restaurant
extremely good – used when saying how well someone does something: · He’s an outstanding player.· It was an outstanding performance by a talented young actor.
unusually good – used when saying that someone or something is much better than any others: · She has an exceptional talent.· He writes good essays, but I wouldn’t say that his work is particularly exceptional.· Merits are given as an honour for exceptional achievement.
[not before noun] spoken informal used when saying that something is so good that it is better than anything you could have imagined: · The food is out of this world.
especially American English very good: · It was an awesome concert.
spoken extremely good, in a way that makes you feel excited and happy – used mainly in spoken English: · The view from the top was fantastic.· He did a fantastic job.· That’s a terrific idea!· ‘I passed!’ ‘That’s terrific!’
spoken extremely good – used mainly in spoken English: · Thanks for a great afternoon.· ‘Did you have a good holiday?' ’It was great!'
extremely good – used especially about the quality of something. Excellent is more formal than fantastic/terrific or great, and is used in both spoken and written English: · Our local theatre has put on some excellent productions.· It is an excellent film.
extremely good in a way that impresses you or makes you very pleased: · She is really a wonderful person.· That’s wonderful news!
British English, marvelous American English extremely good in a way that impresses you or makes you very pleased. Marvellous sounds a little old-fashioned, but is still fairly common: · We had a marvellous dinner at a little restaurant near the hotel.· Martino’s performance was marvelous.
extremely good in a surprising and exciting way: · Standing there on top of Mount Fuji was an amazing experience.
extremely good in a surprising and exciting way. Incredible is often used when something is so good that it almost seems unlikely: · What a goal! That was incredible!· It was an incredible moment - one that I will never forget.
British English informal extremely good: · ‘How was your trip?’ ‘Absolutely brilliant!’· What a brilliant idea!
used when saying that something is so good that you cannot imagine anything better: · Their desserts are out of this world.
Longman Language Activatorwhen something seems very unlikely to be true difficult or impossible to believe: · The things he had heard about her were almost unbelievable.it is unbelievable how/that: · It's unbelievable how nasty people can be.· I find it unbelievable that Mr. Carey does not remember the meeting at all.
a story, explanation, or excuse that is unlikely cannot be believed because it is so unusual: · That sounds a pretty unlikely story to me!· Students invent all sorts of unlikely explanations as to why they can't do their homework.it is unlikely (that): · I think it's unlikely that the police had anything to do with it.highly unlikely: · It's highly unlikely that Burton will be the party's nominee.
a statement or event that is improbable is difficult to believe, even though it may in fact be true or may actually have happened: · The Rockets managed an improbable victory in last night's game.it is improbable that: · It's improbable that she would have been so successful without famous parents.highly improbable: · It's highly improbable that someone would win the lottery twice.
a statement or explanation that is implausible is difficult to believe because it is not like the way things usually happen: · Jill says she can earn $50,000 from the job, but this is an implausible figure.· The idea that a virus could wipe out an entire city so quickly seems a little implausible.
something that is incredible is so surprising or strange that it is difficult to believe, even though it is probably true: · This factory was capable of producing an incredible 100 cars per hour.it is incredible that: · It is incredible that the police still haven't caught him.
something that is inconceivable is so surprising or strange that it seems you cannot believe that it could possibly happen or be true: · The amount of time and money they have wasted on the project is inconceivable.it is inconceivable that: · It's inconceivable that university officials would fire someone as talented and loyal as Professor Schultz.
ideas, statements, and excuses that are unconvincing do not seem to be true or right and you cannot be persuaded to believe that they are: · Peter came to me with a rather unconvincing apology.· Their denial was unconvincing in view of the physical evidence linking them to the bombing.
an idea, story, or explanation that is far-fetched is difficult to believe because it sounds so surprising, unusual, or impossible: · The idea of travelling to other solar systems may sound far-fetched but scientists now see it as a real possibility.· His lawyers argue that the charges are based on a far-fetched conspiracy theory.
formal an idea, story, or explanation that is preposterous is impossible to believe because it sounds completely unreasonable: · It's a preposterous claim that the government is trying to poison its citizens.it is preposterous that: · It is preposterous that Bruce did not know that we were there.
an excuse or explanation that is lame is difficult to believe, because the person who says it has not tried hard enough to make it sound true: · She's always got some lame excuse for being late.· It sounded lame but I really had lost my ticket.
something you like or enjoy very much · Did you have a good weekend?· It's one of the best books I've ever read.· That smells good. What are you cooking?· There's nothing good on TV these days.· This year's show was much better than last year's.very/really good · We enjoyed our trip to Canada. It was really good.
pleasant or enjoyable: · I hope you have a nice vacation.· Come over on Saturday. It would be nice to see you.very/really nice: · She made us a really nice dinner.
spoken also excellent extremely good: · Thanks for a great afternoon.· "Did you have a good holiday?'' "It was great!''· Our local theatre has put on some excellent productions.· an excellent film
so good that it could not be made any better: · It was a perfect day out.· This church is a perfect example of Gothic architecture.· "How was your holiday?'' "Oh, just perfect!''
spoken very good in a way that makes you feel happy or excited: · The kids had a marvellous time at the carnival.· You get a wonderful view of the mountains from here.· The special effects in the movie were just fantastic.· Their latest album's terrific.
very good in a surprising and exciting way: · Standing there on top of Mount Fuji was an amazing experience.· What a goal! That was just incredible!
spoken extremely good: · You should come to the new sports centre - it's brilliant.· "How was your trip?" "Absolutely brilliant!"
American spoken very good or enjoyable: · That's such a neat car.really neat: · The fireworks over Golden Gate Park were really neat.
spoken use this to say that something is so good, enjoyable etc, that it is almost the best you have ever experienced: · Her new apartment's out of this world!· This is the best soufflé I've ever tasted -- it's out of this world.
making you feel surprised · A surprising number of teenagers leave school without being able to read and write.· Some of the conclusions in the report were quite surprising.it is surprising (that) · Wasn't it surprising that so few people came to the party?it is surprising to see/find/ learn etc · In such a small town it was surprising to find so many really good restaurants.it is surprising how/what etc · Liddy really didn't want to change school, but it was surprising how quickly she got used to the new one.
very surprising - use this especially about something very good or impressive: · Hong Kong is an absolutely amazing city.· What an amazing achievement!it is amazing how/what: · It's amazing how much work you can do in a day if you put your mind to it.it is amazing that: · After 2000 years, it's amazing that the inscriptions are still clear enough to read.it's amazing to see/find/think etc: · Isn't it amazing to think that men have actually stood on the moon?
something that is astonishing or astounding is so surprising that it is difficult to believe: · If you watch the way a spider makes its web, it's really astonishing.· The submarine was moving through the water at an astonishing speed.· The results of the tests were astounding.· In the area around London, house prices rose by an astounding 200 per cent in three years.it is astonishing/astounding that: · It was astounding that, as a mother, Sally also managed to do two jobs.it is astonishing how/what: · It's astonishing how much things have changed since the arrival of computers.it is astonishing to find/think/realize etc: · Isn't it astonishing to think that people may one day live for hundreds of years?
extremely surprising and difficult to believe: · He's so rude. It's unbelievable!· Over the next two weeks, we saw an incredible change in her character.it is unbelievable/incredible that: · They were driving much too fast. It's incredible that no-one was hurt.it is unbelievable how/what: · I think it was really unbelievable how he went on deceiving her for all those years.it is unbelievable to see/think/realize etc: · It's unbelievable to think how slow things were in the days before e-mail.
something that is unexpected makes you feel surprised because you did not expect it to happen or be true: · Her decision to leave was completely unexpected.· The new drug comes from an unexpected source -- potatoes.· Ella's angry outburst was so unexpected that Mike really didn't know what to say.
a startling fact is one that you would never have expected to be true: · There has been a startling increase in the numbers of homeless people.· The programme documents startling new theories about the way the universe began.
a staggering number or amount is very surprising because it is so large: · Apparently, we spend a staggering £2.4 billion a year on food for our pets.· a staggering rise in crime· The results of the survey were staggering - over half the children said that they went to school without any breakfast.
informal something that is mind-boggling is so big, strange, or complicated that it is almost impossible to imagine or believe: · The amount of money that some countries spend on weapons is mind-boggling.· His salary is nothing compared to the mind-boggling figures earned by some sportsmen.it is mind-boggling to think/realize etc: · It's mind-boggling to think that our solar system is only one among billions.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY It’s incredible that he survived the fall. It’s incredible how much Tom has changed since he met Sally. I find it almost incredible that no one noticed these errors.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES They climbed the mountain in 28 days, a remarkable feat.
It’s incredible that he survived the fall. It’s incredible how much Tom has changed since he met Sally. I find it almost incredible that no one noticed these errors. They climbed the mountain in 28 days, a remarkable feat.· He survived a night in the cold water against incredible odds.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· That she should spare a first glance, let alone a second, on this man was almost incredible.
· The hassle will be just incredible, man.· It's just incredible to try to create their vibrato and note choice on guitar.· To hold this little thing in your arms and feel a tremendous love and protection towards it is just incredible.
· Mr. Hamilton I find that, from start to finish, a most incredible contribution.· We went inside, and there ii was, the most incredible thing I had ever seen.· Main made me the most incredible clothes.· You can turn them up to the most incredible volume and strum them very lightly, and you get a really lovely sound.· We turned north along the Shyok gorge and passed through some of the most incredible scenery that any of us had witnessed.· The most incredible case involved a guy in Harrow who was advertising for men as a blonde woman called Susannah.· It was the most incredible place we had ever seen.
· But in fact the similarities between you and Sybil are quite incredible - suspiciously so.· It is really quite incredible that, after ten months, Councillor Buchanan should still be unaware of such basic facts.
NOUN· In 1988, 2,019 Rottweilers were registered from 204 litters, which seems an incredible amount of Rottweilers per head of population.· One year ago, Paul Pierce was under an incredible amount of pressure to make a decision.· Clearly, you can get a starter home and not pay an incredible amount of money.
· Stale soul purifier Souls, like bodies and minds, are capable of incredible feats of endurance.· It was an incredible feat of engineering, dug by hand.· It would be an incredible feat for a side built from unsung players.· He attempted to envisage and explain the incredible feat of navigation undertaken by Captain Bligh after the Mutiny.· It's an exciting life by any standards and this description of Watson's incredible feats certainly makes exciting reading.
· It was moving at an incredible speed through the green desert.· Then it zipped away at what seemed like incredible speed and vanished from view.· Many unattached skis went sliding off down the hill at incredible speed.· A wall of dark water, approaching our port side at an incredible speed.· Pattern cutters, fitters, sewing hands and their assistants all worked at an incredible speed.· It grew bigger with incredible speed, she was whizzing towards it.· The computer can produce great volumes of rubbish at incredible speed.
· In this time some incredible things in terms of animal distribution and evolution have taken place there.· This is just an incredible thing.· You think and say incredible things.· We went inside, and there ii was, the most incredible thing I had ever seen.· But he took charge of men; organized them; persuaded or inspired or commanded them to endure incredible things.· You see all these incredible things they do, and some of it rubs off on you.
WORD FAMILYadjectiveincrediblecredibleincredulousadverbincrediblycrediblyincredulouslynouncredibilityincredulity
1extremely good, large, or great SYN unbelievable: The view is just incredible. There was blood everywhere and the pain was incredible.► see thesaurus at good2too strange to be believed, or very difficult to believe SYN unbelievable: It’s incredible that he survived the fall. It’s incredible how much Tom has changed since he met Sally. I find it almost incredible that no one noticed these errors.