incredibly

[ in-kred-uh-blee ]

adverb

1. in a way that is extraordinary, seemingly impossible, or difficult to believe; incredulously:

   Incredibly, we have already raised $750.

2. very; extremely:

   Your hair will be left incredibly soft, supple, and shiny.

   I found the incredibly uncomfortable seats a real distraction—tall people beware.

Usage Note

Incredibly and, somewhat less commonly, incredulously can both be used to mean “unbelievably,” as in It was an incredulously/incredibly expensive flight. They both share the roots of in, meaning “not,” and crēdere, meaning “to believe,” so this shared meaning of “not able to be believed” is rooted in their etymology. Beware, however: they both also have other senses that are not synonyms. Incredibly can mean “very” or “extremely,” but incredulously is not used that way: This is an incredibly exciting moment for me. Incredulously can mean “disbelievingly,” but incredibly is not used that way: She stared at the painting incredulously, skeptical of its veracity .

Word History and Origins

Origin of incredibly¹

First recorded in 1500–10; incredib(le) ( def ) + -ly ( def )

Example Sentences

They can still, incredibly, scramble a place in pot one and avoid the highest-ranked nations in next year’s qualifiers by squeezing into the top two in their Nations League section alongside Portugal.

From BBC

It presents these people in an incredibly complicated situation, and it doesn’t make any moral judgments,” they said.

From Los Angeles Times

What the show does incredibly well is dancing in the gray area.

From Los Angeles Times

Buying sports rights can be incredibly expensive, and some analysts are skeptical about the rewatchability of certain games.

From Los Angeles Times

The extensive treatment and purification process, in addition to testing, will ensure that the drinking water will be “incredibly safe once it’s pumped out and served to our customers,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• especially
• fabulously
• strangely
• uncommonly