Word of the Day

: July 30, 2011

gullible

adjective GULL-uh-bul

What It Means

: easily duped or cheated

gullible in Context

Carl's sister couldn't believe that he was gullible enough to fall for yet another urban legend.

"Tattooed carnies urged gullible visitors to try their luck at the ring toss and water gun race. Shrieking men, women, and children rode the Tilt-a-Whirl, the Matterhorn, and bumper cars." -- From Greg Cox's 2011 novel Warehouse 13: A Touch of Fever

Did You Know?

A recent commenter on our Web site asked, "Is gullibility a word"? Yes, it's entered as a run-on at our entry for "gullible," along with "gullibly." All three of these words descend from the verb "gull," meaning "to deceive or take advantage of." The verb "gull" was borrowed into English from Anglo-French in the mid-16th century. Another relative is the noun "gull," referring to a person who is easy to cheat -- no relation to the familiar word for a sea bird, which is of Celtic origin.