General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI don't get the word "incredible"
If the word "insensitive" means you're not sensitive and the word "insincere" means you're not sincere, doesn't it stand to reason that "incredible" means that you're not credible?
"We have an incredible Attorney General". Wouldn't that mean she is not credible?
UpInArms
(54,910 posts)incredible /ĭn-krĕd′ə-bəl/
adjective
So implausible as to elicit disbelief; unbelievable.
"gave an incredible explanation of the cause of the accident."
Astonishing, extraordinary, or extreme.
"dressed with incredible speed."
Not credible; surpassing belief; too extraordinary and improbable to admit of belief; unlikely; marvelous; fabulous.
Similar: unlikely marvelous fabulous
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition More at Wordnik
Pototan
(3,103 posts)but it still will leave anyone learning English with confusion.
If Trump says that Bondi is an "incredible AG", I would agree with the part of the meaning that she is not credible (a liar)
Happy Hoosier
(9,529 posts)In other languages.
In German, theres a word unglaublich which translates literally to unbelievable but is used similarly to incredible.
The Wizard
(13,715 posts)Or awful as a current idiom.
Intractable
(2,032 posts)Seems to me, if that diamond is priceless, it's free and everyone should have one.
jimmy the one
(2,800 posts)There is no comparable value or meaning to the words incredibly or incredible. You are gaslighting when you use them. Trying to make something sound more important than it really is.
The root word you are describing is generally descriptive enough, adding a superfluous superlative only diminishes your own credibility, no pun intended. I understand what is meant when someone is talented, but incredibly talented is how much more talented? A thousand times?
When someone uses incredible or incredibly they are usually either exaggerating, sensationalizing, embellishing or transmogrifying what they are talking about. Exception being the universe which is indeed incredible.
Defining someone as incredibly excited, sad, or angry - well they should probably lie down, elevate their legs, go to hospital and be sedated and held overnight for observation. I do not want to be around someone incredibly this or that.
Sounds like you are trying to sell pots and pans and knives on the internet or tv - incredible prices, incredible bargains, incredible deals, all this week, at your local department store - and we all should know by now the sales pitch con that is.
We should remove the two words incredibly and incredible from our general vernacular.
There are far better adjectives to use to describe what you are talking about.
Conjuay
(3,056 posts)multigraincracker
(37,572 posts)My problem with them is they tend to divide things into black and white, when in reality, its all grey.
anciano
(2,239 posts)we drive on a parkway but park in a driveway.
bigtree
(94,168 posts)...
CoopersDad
(3,318 posts)The word is overused, it's lazy language.
Most of the time, "remarkable" would be the appropriate term.
Cerulean Southpaw
(49 posts)Over time it came to something like "I can't believe how great this is!"
Another fun one is "terrific".
Horror - Horrible - Horrify - Horrific
Terror - Terrible - Terrify - Terrific?