incredulous
UK[ɪnˈkredjʊləs]US[ɪnˈkredʒələs]
adj
unwilling or unable to believe something; showing disbelief
Morpheme Breakdown
in
cred
ulous
in
not
cred
believe
ulous
adjective suffix
Etymology
the word "incredulous" has a clear logical path from its latin components to its modern meaning. it is built upon the latin verb 'credere', meaning "to believe," which itself can be traced back to the proto-indo-european root kerd-, meaning "heart," reflecting the ancient conceptual link between the heart and trust. the negative prefix 'in-' (meaning "not") is attached directly to this root, creating a sense of "not believing." the suffix '-ulous' (a variant of '-ulous' meaning "full of" or "inclined to") then transforms this into an adjective describing a state of mind. thus, the literal construction "not inclined to believe" perfectly captures the modern abstract sense of being skeptical or unwilling to accept something as true.
Analysis
Structure: in (not) + cred (believe) + ulous (adjective suffix)
- in: a latin prefix meaning "not".
- cred: from latin 'credere', meaning "to believe, trust".
- ulous: a latin-derived adjective-forming suffix, often meaning "full of" or "characterized by".
Examples
she gave him an incredulous stare when he claimed to have seen a ghost.
i was incredulous at the news of their sudden marriage.
his incredulous laughter made it clear he thought i was joking.