incredulousness

She raised an eyebrow in incredulousness at the outlandish claim.

Definition

Noun: incredulousness is the state or quality of being unwilling or unable to believe something; skepticism or disbelief.

Usage Examples

• (He showed clear disbelief.)
• (Her skepticism prompted a demand for proof.)
• (Her expression conveyed doubt.)

Advanced Usage

• "an air of incredulousness": a visible attitude of disbelief.

  • He listened to the story with an air of incredulousness, shaking his head slowly. (His manner showed he doubted the tale.)

• "to meet something with incredulousness": to respond to a statement or event with skepticism.

  • The proposal was met with incredulousness by the board members. (The board reacted with disbelief.)

Variants and Related Words

• Incredulous (adj): feeling or showing disbelief.

  • She gave an incredulous look when he said he had won the lottery. (Her expression showed doubt.)

• Incredulity (n): the inability or unwillingness to believe something.

  • His incredulity at the news was obvious. (He could not believe it.)

Synonyms

• Disbelief: the inability to accept something as true.
• Skepticism: a doubting or questioning attitude.
• Doubt: a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction.

Related Idioms

• "a pinch of salt": to regard something with skepticism.

  • Take his promises with a pinch of salt. (Do not fully believe them.)

• "see through something": to perceive the falseness of a statement.

  • She saw through his excuse with incredulousness. (She disbelieved his explanation.)