gullible

adjective

gull·ible ˈgə-lə-bəl

variants or less commonly gullable

Synonyms of gullible next

: easily duped or cheated

selling overpriced souvenirs to gullible tourists

gullibility

ˌgə-lə-ˈbi-lə-tē

noun

gullibly

ˈgə-lə-blē

adverb

Did you know?

“Let a gull steal my fries once, shame on the gull; let a gull steal my fries twice, shame on me.” So goes the classic, oft-repeated seaside maxim reminding people to guard against being gullible. Okay, that’s not really how the old saw goes, but on the off chance that you believed our little trick, you yourself were, however briefly, gullible—that is, “easily duped.” The adjective gullible grew out of the older verb gull, meaning “to deceive or take advantage of.” (That gull originally meant “to guzzle or gulp greedily,” and comes from an even older gull meaning “throat, gullet.”) Another relative is the noun gull, referring to a person who is easy to cheat. However, no matter how much the seabirds we call gulls love to pilfer our potatoes, that avian gull has no relation, and is instead of Celtic origin—we promise.

Examples of gullible in a Sentence

I'm not gullible enough to believe something that outrageous. They sell overpriced souvenirs to gullible tourists.

Recent Examples on the Web

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Big money, a gullible and clueless electorate, and a party (the Democrats) out of touch with reality are the major culprits. —

Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024 Rose is an adorable character, who is very gentle in nature and also a bit gullible and native. —

Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 4 Oct. 2024 There's this stereotype in our culture that people who are happy and optimistic and trusting are naive and gullible. —

Jess Cording, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024 Harper already has a gullible fool on the inside, ready to give a list of Pierpoint’s positions away. —

Nina Li Coomes, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gullible