as in naive
too willing to believe things without substantial proof
Few people are credulous enough to believe such nonsense. a credulous audience
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Recent Examples of credulous
On Ukraine, the new strategy does little more than make assertions, many of them too sanguine about what the country needs to survive and too credulous about Russia’s potential to serve as a constructive regional actor.
—
Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2025
Guy seems pretty credulous here, especially after Doris tells him, finally, about the fate of poor Soledad.
—Lily Osler, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2025
While Mare blossoms quickly under his guidance, the rest lag doltishly behind, using journalism as a pretext to confront an ex, or getting duped by some teens into writing a credulous account of a preposterous youth trend.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2025
But like populism’s critique of insider politics, the outsider critique of the medical establishment has always struggled to offer an alternative vision that’s rigorous rather than credulous.
—Ross Douthat, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for credulous
Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2025
Guy seems pretty credulous here, especially after Doris tells him, finally, about the fate of poor Soledad.
—Lily Osler, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2025
While Mare blossoms quickly under his guidance, the rest lag doltishly behind, using journalism as a pretext to confront an ex, or getting duped by some teens into writing a credulous account of a preposterous youth trend.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2025
But like populism’s critique of insider politics, the outsider critique of the medical establishment has always struggled to offer an alternative vision that’s rigorous rather than credulous.
—Ross Douthat, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for credulous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for credulous
Adjective
-
My call with her was my naïve attempt at just this.—
Elisa Wouk Almino
Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Those two youngsters happen to be a happily engaged, and happily naive, couple, and the series plays out exploring the dynamics between the two relationships, one young, loving and energetic, the other old, tired and toxic.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
More like a memo from the dictator, telling gullible loyalists what to think.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
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No Muscovite would be so gullible as to assume the government was on their side.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Six innocent people, including an unborn baby, died in three separate pursuits throughout Orange and Los Angeles counties this week.—
Tom Wait,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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An error in a legal brief could lead to an innocent person’s incarceration.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Yet this widely available gourd—harvested and eaten while still immature, in fact, for ripe cucumbers are yellow and bitter—is not the entirety of the plant.—
Andrés Muedano,
JSTOR Daily,
25 Mar. 2026
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Preterm and low-birth-weight babies are at higher risk than full-term babies of developing NEC, potentially because of their immature digestive systems, according to the National Institutes of Health.—
Lisa Schencker,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Credulous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/credulous. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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