Incredulity

Incredulity is the state of being unwilling or unable to believe something. It stems from a feeling of disbelief, skepticism, or doubt. This disbelief is often prompted by something surprising, extraordinary, or seemingly impossible to understand or accept as true. It can manifest as an outward expression, such as a raised eyebrow or a questioning look, or it can remain internal, as a lingering sense of doubt or reservation. At its core, Incredulity represents a challenge to established beliefs or expectations, a resistance to accepting information without sufficient evidence or understanding. It is a fundamental human response to encountering the unfamiliar or the potentially untrue. The degree of Incredulity can vary greatly, from a mild surprise to a profound and unwavering disbelief.

Incredulity meaning with examples

• When Sarah heard her lottery numbers were a match, her face registered pure incredulity. She reread the numbers multiple times, certain there had been a mistake, because the news was too good to be true. She had bought her first lottery ticket 3 days before and now had a jackpot! Incredulity kept her from even celebrating.
• John's colleagues greeted his claims of a UFO sighting with a mixture of amusement and incredulity. They were familiar with his imaginative nature, making him very popular. The tale seemed outlandish. Even the most open-minded among them found it hard to suppress a degree of skepticism, a feeling he had to deal with.
• The news of the politician's sudden resignation was met with widespread incredulity. The politician, with the second highest approval ratings ever, appeared solid in his post. Voters struggled to comprehend the reasons, clinging to their past, until the truth came out.
• Despite all the evidence presented, the jury expressed Incredulity about the defendant's innocence. The case had many holes in it. It was all quite strange. Their minds, conditioned by other prior similar cases, found it impossible to reconcile the facts with a verdict of not guilty, because it meant going against their beliefs.
• After witnessing the magician's seemingly impossible trick, the audience’s initial applause gave way to a quiet murmuring of incredulity. Even though they could see their peers clapping, the crowd all whispered among themselves, each person hoping to find answers from the next.