incredibly
AmericanUsage
Incredibly and, somewhat less commonly, incredulously can both be used to mean “unbelievably,” as in It was an incredulously/incredibly expensive flight. They both share the roots of in, meaning “not,” and crēdere, meaning “to believe,” so this shared meaning of “not able to be believed” is rooted in their etymology. Beware, however: they both also have other senses that are not synonyms. Incredibly can mean “very” or “extremely,” but incredulously is not used that way: This is an incredibly exciting moment for me. Incredulously can mean “disbelievingly,” but incredibly is not used that way: She stared at the painting incredulously, skeptical of its veracity .
Etymology
Origin of incredibly
First recorded in 1500–10; incredib(le) ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In the near term, given the significant vacancies in the top ranks of China's PLA, "it would be incredibly difficult for China to launch large military campaigns against Taiwan", the experts said.
From Barron's
Pearl, now a TV analyst, said the guard is “an incredibly talented kid with a real gift” but his “emotions at times have gotten the better of him.”
From Los Angeles Times
“Cadet Mason is incredibly focused and goal oriented, and people that driven have a tendency to grate on others.”
From Literature
"When I was 18, they said to me 'You could try getting pregnant to see if it helps', which was incredibly disheartening," she says.
From BBC
He said drone footage of the scene showed the "subsidence" was "significant" and it was an "incredibly complex issue to resolve".
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
