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Gullibility: meaning, definitions and examples

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gullibility

 

[ ˌɡʌlɪˈbɪləti ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

lack of skepticism

Gullibility is the tendency to believe anything without questioning it, often leading to being easily deceived or tricked.

Synonyms

credulity, naivety, trustfulness.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
gullibility

This word is generally used when someone is easily deceived or tricked, often with a negative implication.

  • Her gullibility made her an easy target for online scams
credulity

This term is often used in more formal contexts to describe a tendency to believe things too readily without sufficient evidence.

  • The scientist was surprised by the credulity of the public in believing the outlandish theory
naivety

This word is used to describe innocence or a lack of experience and sophistication. It can be either neutral or slightly negative depending on the context.

  • His naivety showed when he trusted the stranger with his personal information
trustfulness

This term has a positive connotation and is used to describe a willingness to trust others.

  • Her trustfulness made her well-liked among her peers

Examples of usage

  • She fell for the scam due to her gullibility.
  • His gullibility made him an easy target for con artists.

Translations

Translations of the word "gullibility" in other languages:

🇵🇹 credulidade

🇮🇳 गुलिबिलिटी

🇩🇪 Leichtgläubigkeit

🇮🇩 kegulungan

🇺🇦 легковірність

🇵🇱 łatwowierność

🇯🇵 騙されやすさ

🇫🇷 crédule

🇪🇸 credulidad

🇹🇷 saflık

🇰🇷 잘 속음

🇸🇦 سذاجة

🇨🇿 důvěřivost

🇸🇰 dôverčivosť

🇨🇳 轻信

🇸🇮 lahkovernost

🇮🇸 trúgirni

🇰🇿 сенгіштік

🇬🇪 მოსატყუებელი

🇦🇿 sadəlövhlük

🇲🇽 credulidad

Etymology

The word 'gullibility' originates from the English noun 'gull,' meaning 'dupe' or 'simpleton.' It first appeared in the early 19th century and is derived from the verb 'gull,' which means 'to deceive or cheat.' The concept of gullibility has been studied in psychology and sociology to understand why some individuals are more prone to being deceived than others.

See also: gullibly.

Word Frequency Rank

This word's position of #32,773 indicates it's among the more rare English words. While understanding it broadens your vocabulary, focus on more common words first.