incredible
UK[ɪnˈkredəbl̩]US[ɪnˈkredəbl̩]
adj
so extreme as to be difficult to believe; astonishing.
adj
(informal) extremely good; wonderful.
Morpheme Breakdown
in
cred
ible
in
not
cred
believe
ible
capable of
Etymology
the word incredible originates from latin 'incredibilis', which is a direct combination of the negative prefix 'in-', the verb 'credere' meaning 'to believe, trust', and the adjectival suffix '-ibilis' denoting ability. the literal sense is "not able to be believed." the root 'credere' itself is traced back to the proto-indo-european root kerd- meaning 'heart', as trusting was historically associated with the heart. over time, the english word evolved from its strict literal meaning of "unbelievable" to also acquire an informal, intensified sense of "amazingly good," reflecting a common linguistic pattern where extreme qualities, whether positive or negative, can be expressed through the same term.
Analysis
Structure: in (not) + cred (believe) + ible (capable of)
in- (latin, negative prefix), cred- (latin root 'credere', meaning 'to believe'), -ible (latin suffix '-ibilis', meaning 'capable of, able to be').
Examples
the team's comeback victory was nothing short of incredible.
he told an incredible story about being rescued by dolphins.
we had an incredible time on our vacation to the mountains.