credulity Hear it!

credulity Definition

cre·du·lity (krə do̵̅o̅′lə tē, -dyo̵̅o̅′-)

noun

a tendency to believe too readily, esp. with little or no proof; lack of doubt

Etymology: ME credulite < OFr < L credulitas < credulus: see credulous

credulity Usage Examples

Preposition: of

child: Here are some of the regulations that advertisers agree to: Advertisements should not exploit the inexperience or credulity of children.

Possessives

  • reader: Donne does not make excessive demands on readers ' credulity regarding the origin of his spirituality, either.
  • people: To suggest that X is anything other than a man would tax most reasonable peoples ' credulity, of course.

Converse of object

  • stretch: This is stretching the credulity of most people to the absolute limit.
  • strain: Such claims were obviously thought too gross for a domestic audience; they would strain the credulity of ordinary Bosnian Serb peasants.
  • have: But I had more credulity in those days than I have got now.

Adjective modifier

  • human: Never has there been a more flagrant abuse of human credulity than the Jewish attempt to convince the British people that Bolshevism is harmless.
  • complete: But it is the mark of utter folly and complete credulity.
  • boundless: Even Good's boundless credulity is strained on occasion, tho.
  • sheer: In this instance it would seem to be sheer credulity.
  • such: Given such prodigious credulity, can anyone doubt that human minds are ripe for malignant infection?
  • stretched: He adds a remarkable appearance to a throng of 500 which even the gospel writers must have found stretched credulity too far.

Noun used with modifier

strain: For most observers, the idea of US involvement in the attacks still strains credulity beyond breaking point.