Quick answer: Incredible describes something amazing, extraordinary, or hard to believe because of its own quality: They climbed an incredible mountain in record time. Incredulous describes a person's reaction of disbelief or skepticism: She looked incredulous when he explained his excuse. Incredible describes the thing itself; incredulous describes a person's state of mind. For a fuller definition, see the Cambridge Dictionary entry for ‘incredulous’.
Comparison Table
| Word | Part of Speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| incredible | adjective | amazing, extraordinary, or hard to believe (describes the thing itself) | The view from the summit was incredible. |
| incredulous | adjective | unable or unwilling to believe something; showing disbelief (describes a person's reaction) | He gave an incredulous laugh at the news. |
Using Incredible
Incredible describes an object, event, achievement, or quality that is amazing, extraordinary, or difficult to believe because of how impressive or unusual it is.
The team pulled off an incredible comeback in the final minutes.
She has an incredible talent for languages.
The photos showed incredible detail of the distant galaxy.
It's incredible how quickly the city rebuilt after the storm.
Using Incredulous
Incredulous describes a person's expression, tone, or reaction of disbelief or skepticism toward something they have just heard or seen.
Her incredulous expression showed she didn't believe a word of it.
"You did what?" he asked, sounding utterly incredulous.
The jury remained incredulous throughout his testimony.
She was incredulous that anyone could believe such a story.
Memory Trick
IncrediBLE describes something un-believaBLE in a good (or extreme) way — the thing itself is amazing. IncreduLOUS rhymes with "jealous" or "curious" — words that describe a person's feeling. If it's a person's disbelieving face or reaction, it's incredulous.
Common Mistakes
✗ The fireworks display was absolutely incredulous.
✓ The fireworks display was absolutely incredible.
Since we're describing the display itself (not a person's disbelief), "incredible" is correct.
✗ He stared at me with an incredible look on his face.
✓ He stared at me with an incredulous look on his face.
Tips to Avoid Confusion
- If you mean amazing or hard to believe (about a thing), use incredible.
- If you mean a person's own disbelief or skeptical reaction, use incredulous.
- Ask: "Am I describing an object/event, or a person's face/feeling?" Object → incredible; person's reaction → incredulous.
- Related nouns: "incredibility" (rare) for incredible; "incredulity" (common) for incredulous.
For more on related grammar, see word formation. Also confusing: Afraid vs Frightened, Alone vs Lonely, Angry vs Furious. Browse all confusing word pairs →
Quick Check: Incredible or Incredulous?
4 fill-in-the-blank questions — choose the correct word for each sentence.
1. “The magician's trick was absolutely ___.” (amazing)
2. “She gave an ___ shake of her head, refusing to believe him.”
3. “It's ___ how much progress they made in one week.”
4. “The teacher looked ___ when the whole class blamed the dog.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between incredible and incredulous?
Incredible describes something amazing, extraordinary, or hard to believe because of its own quality: "an incredible view", "an incredible achievement." Incredulous describes a person's reaction of disbelief or skepticism: "she looked incredulous when he explained." Incredible describes the thing itself; incredulous describes a person's state of mind.
Why are incredible and incredulous so often confused?
Both come from the same Latin root "credere" (to believe) with the negative prefix "in-", and they share the first eight letters, differing only in the ending. But one describes the object causing disbelief and the other describes the person experiencing it.
Can a person be described as incredible?
Yes, but with a different meaning — calling a person "incredible" means they are amazing or extraordinary ("an incredible athlete"), not that they are experiencing disbelief. To describe someone's skeptical reaction, use "incredulous" instead.
What is the noun form of incredulous?
The noun is 'incredulity', meaning an unwillingness or inability to believe something: "He stared at the results with a look of pure incredulity."
What is the noun form of incredible?
The related noun is 'incredibility' (the quality of being hard to believe), though it is rarely used. More often, writers rephrase using "disbelief" or simply keep the adjective form, since "incredible" is mostly used descriptively rather than as a noun base.
Is incredible always positive?
In everyday speech, "incredible" is usually used positively to mean amazing or wonderful ("an incredible meal"), though its literal meaning — not credible, hard to believe — can also apply to negative or neutral situations ("an incredible amount of damage").
What is the adverb form of incredulous?
The adverb is 'incredulously': "'You did what?' she asked incredulously." It describes speaking or acting in a way that shows disbelief.
Can incredulous describe a look or expression?
Yes, very commonly: "He gave me an incredulous stare when I explained the plan." This use highlights a facial expression showing disbelief or astonishment at what was said.
Does incredulous mean the same as skeptical?
They are closely related but not identical. Skeptical describes a general tendency to doubt or question claims, while incredulous specifically describes a strong, often visible reaction of disbelief to a particular statement or event.
How can I remember incredible vs incredulous?
Incredi-BLE sounds like it describes a thing that's 'unbelieva-BLE'. Incredu-LOUS pairs with words like 'jealous' or 'curious' that describe a person's feeling or expression. If it's a thing that's amazing, use incredible; if it's a person's disbelieving reaction, use incredulous.