Gullible
/ˈɡʌl.ə.bəl/noun
Easily deceived or tricked.
Did you know?The word is tied to the old verb *gull*, meaning “to swallow” or “to cheat,” so the insult carries the eerie image of someone who just swallows the lie whole.
Etymological Timeline
Late 16th Century
English
gullible
“easily cheated or fooled”
Late 16th Century
English
gull
“to deceive, trick, or cheat”
Middle English
English
gullen
“to swallow”
Old French
Old French
goule
“throat; jaw; gullet”
Latin
Latin
gula
“throat; gullet”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʰelh₃-
“to swallow, devour”