ESEN
Which one to use?Advancedadjetivoadjetivo
CrediblevsCredulous
"Credible" = believable, worthy of being believed; "credulous" = too willing to believe things without questioning them.
Side-by-side comparison
Credible
adjetivo"Credible" describes something or someone worthy of being believed: convincing and trustworthy. A credible source, a credible testimony.
The whistleblower was considered a credible source by multiple independent journalists.
To be credible in a negotiation, you must make promises you can actually keep.
The film presents a credible portrayal of life in a refugee camp.
Credulous
adjetivo"Credulous" describes a person who believes everything they are told without questioning it: overly willing to accept things without evidence.
He was so credulous that he bought the "miracle supplement" after reading a single online review.
Credulous investors lost millions to the Ponzi scheme before the fraud was uncovered.
A good critical thinker is skeptical without being cynical, open-minded without being credulous.
Common mistake
- •"The professor was very credulous" when meaning they were believable is wrong: the correct word is "credible".
- •"Credulous" describes someone who believes too easily; "credible" describes something or someone that deserves to be believed.
Trick to remember it
- •"Credible" has the suffix "-ible" like "visible" and "audible", something able to be believed.
- •"Credulous" has the suffix "-ulous" like "garrulous" (talks too much), someone who believes too much.
Quick rule
- •"Credible" = believable, worthy of trust (the source is reliable).
- •"Credulous" = too readily believing (the person is overly trusting).
Did you know?
Latin has a rich family of words around "credere" (to believe): credible, credulous, credit, credence, credential, creed. "Incredible" is the opposite of "credible": what cannot be believed. "Incredulous" is the opposite of "credulous": someone who does not believe easily. "Incredulous look" and "incredible result" are the most frequent collocations in formal English. English borrowed almost all these words from Latin through medieval French.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
He is so _____ ! He believed everything the salesman told him without question.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The witness gave a very _____ account of what happened. The jury believed every word.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
DiscretevsDiscreet
"Discrete" = separate, distinct, independent; "discreet" = careful and prudent, not revealing private information.
EminentvsImminent
'Eminent' describes a person of outstanding reputation in a field; 'imminent' describes something that is about to happen very soon.
AbovevsOver
"Above" is at a higher level without contact; "over" implies covering, movement, or crossing.
ActuallyvsReally
"Actually" corrects or contrasts an assumption; "really" intensifies or confirms.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy