adj · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˈkɹɛd͡ʒələs/
/ˈkɹɛdjələs/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:K R EH1 JH AH0 L AH0 S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Excessively ready to believe things; gullible.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: naive, unworldly, gullible, credulous, green, fleeceable, naif, born yesterday, fresh off the boat, wide-eyed
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Believed too readily.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective
Meaning 3
disposed to believe on little evidence
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the gimmick would convince none but the most credulous
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: incredulous
4
adjective satellite
Meaning 4
showing a lack of judgment or experience
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
so credulous he believes everything he reads
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Originated in 1576, borrowed from Latin crēdulus (“that easily believes a thing, credulous”), from crēdō (“to believe”).
Across languages
Translations
32 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
доверчи́в
(doverčív)
— excessively ready to believe things
Bulgarian:
лекове́рен
(lekovéren)
— excessively ready to believe things
Catalan:
crèdul
— excessively ready to believe things
Chinese Mandarin:
輕信的 /轻信的
(qīngxìn de)
— excessively ready to believe things
Cornish:
hegol
— excessively ready to believe things
Czech:
důvěřivý
— excessively ready to believe things
Czech:
lehkověrný
— excessively ready to believe things
Dutch:
lichtgelovig
— excessively ready to believe things
Finnish:
hyväuskoinen
— excessively ready to believe things
Finnish:
sinisilmäinen
— excessively ready to believe things
French:
crédule
— excessively ready to believe things
French:
naïf
— excessively ready to believe things
German:
leichtgläubig
— excessively ready to believe things
Greek:
εύπιστος
(éfpistos)
— excessively ready to believe things
Hungarian:
hiszékeny
— excessively ready to believe things
Japanese:
だまされやすい
(damasareyasui)
— excessively ready to believe things
Latin:
crēdulus
— excessively ready to believe things
Macedonian:
лековерен
(lekoveren)
— excessively ready to believe things
Macedonian:
лесноверен
(lesnoveren)
— excessively ready to believe things
Norwegian Bokmål:
godtroende
— excessively ready to believe things
Polish:
łatwowierny
— excessively ready to believe things
Portuguese:
crédulo
— excessively ready to believe things
Romanian:
credul
— excessively ready to believe things
Russian:
дове́рчивый
(dovérčivyj)
— excessively ready to believe things
Russian:
легкове́рный
(lexkovérnyj)
— excessively ready to believe things
Swedish:
lättrogen
— excessively ready to believe things
Swedish:
godtrogen
— excessively ready to believe things
Swedish:
lättlurad
— excessively ready to believe things
Turkish:
safdil
— excessively ready to believe things
Ukrainian:
легковірний
(lehkovirnyj)
— excessively ready to believe things
Ukrainian:
довірливий
(dovirlyvyj)
— excessively ready to believe things
Vietnamese:
cả tin
— excessively ready to believe things
