Gullible: meaning, definitions and examples

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gullible

 

[ ˈɡʌləb(ə)l ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

being easily deceived

Easily persuaded to believe something; credulous. Naive and easily deceived or tricked.

Synonyms

credulous, naive, trustful

Examples of usage

  • He was so gullible that he believed everything he read on the internet.
  • She was gullible enough to give her credit card information to a stranger over the phone.
Context #2 | Adjective

easily tricked or manipulated

Easily fooled or deceived; quick to believe things. Often used in a negative sense to describe someone who is too trusting.

Synonyms

foolish, naive, unsuspecting

Examples of usage

  • He was gullible enough to fall for the scam and lost all his savings.
  • Don't be so gullible, always question what you are told.

Translations

Translations of the word "gullible" in other languages:

🇵🇹 ingênuo

🇮🇳 भोलाभाला (bholabhala)

🇩🇪 leichtgläubig

🇮🇩 mudah percaya

🇺🇦 довірливий

🇵🇱 łatwowierny

🇯🇵 だまされやすい (damasareyasui)

🇫🇷 crédule

🇪🇸 crédulo

🇹🇷 saf

🇰🇷 잘 속는 (jal sokneun)

🇸🇦 ساذج (sādhij)

🇨🇿 důvěřivý

🇸🇰 dôverčivý

🇨🇳 轻信的 (qīngxìn de)

🇸🇮 lahkoveren

🇮🇸 auðtrúa

🇰🇿 сенгіш

🇬🇪 მარტივად მჯერი (martivad mjeri)

🇦🇿 sadəlövh

🇲🇽 crédulo

Etymology

The word 'gullible' originated in the late 16th century from the verb 'gull', which means to deceive, cheat, or trick. The suffix '-ible' was added to form an adjective meaning easily deceived. The term has been used to describe individuals who are easily fooled or manipulated, often due to a lack of skepticism or critical thinking. Throughout history, gullible people have been targets for scams, cons, and manipulative tactics.

See also: gull, gullet, gully, seagull.

Word Frequency Rank

At rank #25,096, this word represents specialized academic or technical vocabulary. It's less frequently encountered but may be valuable in specific contexts.