credulous
Adjective
Hard difficulty
What does “credulous” mean?
adjective.having or showing too great a readiness to believe things.
SAT Usage
this term is often found in passages discussing themes of deception, critical thinking, or gullibility. It emphasizes a lack of skepticism or discernment, suggesting that a person is overly willing to accept information without questioning its validity, which differs from being simply naive or uninformed.
Common Confusions
Credulous implies a readiness to believe without skepticism, while naive usually suggests a lack of experience or sophistication, not necessarily an eagerness to accept all claims as true.
Example Sentences
-
A credulous investor believed every claim in the brochure.
-
Only a credulous reader would believe that headline.
Word Parts: How to Remember “credulous”
Break “credulous” into its parts: -cred- (believe, trust). Knowing roots like these helps you decode unfamiliar SAT vocabulary.
-
Root:
-cred-believe, trust (Latin)