Both Uses of
credulous
in
Sense and Sensibility
- a fond mother, though, in pursuit of praise for her children, the most rapacious of human beings, is likewise the most credulous; her demands are exorbitant; but she will swallow any thing;
Chpt 21 *credulous = gullible (too willing to believe)
- She turned towards Lucy in silent amazement, unable to divine the reason or object of such a declaration; and though her complexion varied, she stood firm in incredulity, and felt in no danger of an hysterical fit, or a swoon.†
Chpt 22incredulity = a state of not believingstandard prefix: The prefix "in-" in incredulity means not and reverses the meaning of credulity. This is the same pattern you see in words like invisible, incomplete, and insecure.
Definition:
gullible (being too willing to believe)