INDEX:
1. to believe that something is true
2. to believe something that is not true
3. when you do not believe something
4. what you say to someone when you do not believe them
5. when something seems likely to be true
6. when something seems very unlikely to be true
7. when you believe or do not believe that God, ghosts etc exist
8. something that someone believes
9. something that someone believes that is definitely not true
to believe that someone is able to do something and can be trusted : ↑ TRUST/NOT TRUST
words for describing strong beliefs : ↑ STRONG (6)
see also
↑ SURE/NOT SURE
↑ THINK
↑ OPINION
↑ TRUE
↑ LIE
↑ RELIGION
↑ MODERATE
↑ EXTREME
◆◆◆
1. to believe that something is true
▷ believe /bɪˈliːv, bəˈliːv/ [transitive verb not in progressive]
to be sure that something is true or that someone is telling the truth :
▪ Did the police believe his story?
▪ I told them I didn’t do it, but no one believed me.
▪ You shouldn’t believe everything you read in the papers.
believe (that)
▪ People used to believe that the sun moved around the earth.
believe it or not
it may be hard to believe this
▪ I asked them for a $10,000 loan, and believe it or not they said yes.
firmly/strongly believe
▪ I firmly believe that we are responsible for what happens to us in our lives.
▷ accept /əkˈsept/ [transitive verb not in progressive]
to believe something because someone has persuaded you to believe it :
▪ I finally accepted the fact that I would die if I didn’t stop smoking.
▪ She succeeded in persuading the jury to accept her version of the events.
accept that
▪ She’ll never accept that her husband has been unfaithful.
acceptance [uncountable noun]
▪ The late nineteenth century saw an increasing acceptance of Darwin’s theories.
▷ take somebody’s word for it /ˌteɪk somebodyˈs ˈwɜːʳd fər ɪt/ [verb phrase]
to believe what someone tells you even though you have no proof of it :
▪ When he told me he’d been in the army, I took his word for it.
▪ ‘Do you want to check for yourself?’ ‘No, I’ll take your word for it.’
▷ give somebody the benefit of the doubt /ˌgɪv somebody ðə ˌbenə̇fɪt əv ðə ˈdaʊt/ [verb phrase]
to believe what someone says even though you think they might not be telling the truth :
▪ Something didn’t seem quite right, but I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.
▪ She claimed she wasn’t trying to commit suicide, and doctors gave her the benefit of the doubt.
▷ take something on trust /ˌteɪk something ɒn ˈtrʌst/ [verb phrase]
to accept that what someone tells you is true without asking for any proof, because you have decided to trust them :
▪ I’m afraid I can’t let you see the letter, so you’ll just have to take what I’m saying on trust.
▪ He said he’d never been in trouble before, which I was content to take on trust.
▷ take/accept something at face value /ˌteɪk, əkˌsept something ət ˌfeɪs ˈvæljuː/ [verb phrase]
to believe what someone says or what you read, without thinking that it may have another meaning :
▪ Netta accepted Amelia’s explanation at face value and didn’t ask any more questions.
▪ The letter, if we take it at face value, suggests that Richard is quite happy in his job.
▷ buy /baɪ/ [transitive verb] informal
to believe a reason or explanation, especially one that is not very likely to be true - use this especially in negatives and questions :
▪ We could tell him it was an accident, but he’d never buy it.
▪ ‘He said he was with friends last night.’ ‘Are you going to buy that?’
2. to believe something that is not true
▷ swallow /ˈswɒləʊǁˈswɑː-/ [transitive verb]
to believe a story, explanation etc that is not actually true, in a way that makes people think you are stupid :
▪ You mean to tell me you swallowed a story like that?
▪ Her explanation of where the money went is a little hard to swallow.
swallow something whole
completely believe it
▪ The company has been telling lies for years, but local media has swallowed them whole.
▷ fall for /ˈfɔːl fɔːʳ/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to believe something that is not true, that someone tells you to trick you :
▪ They told me I’d earn over a thousand dollars a week and I fell for it.
▪ She should know better than to fall for that old excuse.
▷ be taken in /biː ˌteɪkən ˈɪn/ [verb phrase]
to believe that someone is telling the truth, when in fact they are lying in order to trick you :
▪ He told me that it was a genuine diamond, and I was completely taken in.
be taken in by
▪ Don’t be taken in by products claiming to make you lose weight quickly.
▷ gullible /ˈgʌlɪb ə l, ˈgʌləb ə l/ [adjective]
too willing to believe what other people tell you, so that it is easy to cheat you :
▪ How can you be so gullible! He’s not really French.
▪ He seemed to treat me as if I were a gullible schoolgirl.
▷ hook, line, and sinker /ˌhʊk ˌlaɪn ənd ˈsɪŋkəʳ/ [adverb]
if you believe something hook, line, and sinker, you believe it completely even though it is so silly that it could not possibly be true :
▪ What an idiot! He believed the whole story hook, line, and sinker!
▪ The people seem to have swallowed the government’s promises hook, line, and sinker.
3. when you do not believe something
▷ not believe /nɒt bə̇ˈliːv/ [transitive verb not in progressive]
to not believe that something is true or that someone is telling the truth :
▪ She doesn’t believe anything he tells her.
▪ I told her it was an accident, but she didn’t believe me.
not believe (that)
▪ I don’t believe you meant half the things you said.
not believe a word of it
not believe it at all
▪ They say they’re going to send me the money, but I don’t believe a word of it.
▷ disbelieve /ˌdɪsbɪˈliːv, ˌdɪsbəˈliːv/ [transitive verb not in progressive] formal
to not believe something, especially something that someone has told you :
▪ He had nothing to gain from lying so we saw no reason to disbelieve him.
▪ Kim, of course, disbelieved every word the boy said.
▷ doubt /daʊt/ [transitive verb not in progressive]
to think that something may not really be true or that someone may not really be telling the truth, even though you are not completely sure :
▪ In all the years I knew him I never once doubted his story.
▪ He wondered how he could ever have doubted her.
doubt (that)
▪ He doubted that the car was hers because everyone knew she had no money.
doubt whether/if
▪ They seriously doubted whether the letter had ever existed.
I doubt it
spoken
▪ He may be able to do a good job, but I doubt it.
doubt very much/seriously doubt
think something is almost certainly not true
▪ She says she’ll leave him, but I doubt very much that she will.
doubter /ˈdaʊtəʳ/ [countable noun]
someone who thinks that something is probably not true: :
▪ I hope to convince any doubters in the audience that our policies will work.
▷ take something with a pinch of salt British /take something with a grain of salt American /ˌteɪk something wɪð ə ˌpɪntʃ əv ˈsɔːlt, ˌteɪk something wɪð ə ˌgreɪn əv ˈsɔːlt/ [verb phrase]
to not completely believe what someone says to you because you know that they do not always tell the truth :
▪ It’s best to take what he says with a pinch of salt - he’s always exaggerating.
▪ Every once in a while I go to a psychic, but I take everything she says with a grain of salt.
▷ disbelief /ˌdɪsbɪˈliːf, ˌdɪsbəˈliːf/ [uncountable noun]
the feeling that you cannot believe someone or something, especially because it is very surprising :
▪ When people hear tragic news their first reaction is usually one of disbelief.
▪ My story was met with a mixture of disbelief and contempt.
do something in disbelief
▪ I stared at him in utter disbelief.
▷ sceptical also skeptical American /ˈskeptɪk ə l/ [adjective]
someone who is sceptical about something is not sure whether it is true, or does not really believe it :
▪ When I started this investigation I was sceptical.
▪ His attitude towards all religion is sceptical.
sceptical about
▪ I wish him luck, but I’m skeptical about his chances of success.
scepticism also skepticism American /ˈskeptɪsɪz ə m, ˈskeptəsɪz ə m/ [uncountable noun]
▪ His latest theories have met with a lot of scepticism.
sceptic also skeptic American [countable noun]
▪ There are a lot of skeptics out there, but I think the women’s basketball program will be a success.
▷ cynical /ˈsɪnɪk ə l/ [adjective]
someone who is cynical is not willing to believe that people have good or honest reasons for doing something :
▪ I think movie stars just do charity work to get publicity - but maybe I’m too cynical.
▪ an author with a cynical view of life
cynical about
▪ Since her divorce, she’s become very cynical about men.
cynicism /ˈsɪnɪsɪz ə m, ˈsɪnəsɪz ə m/ [uncountable noun]
▪ The public’s cynicism about politics is at an all time high.
cynic [countable noun]
▪ Cynics say that Christmas is nothing more than a way for stores to make money.
▷ incredulous /ɪnˈkredjɑləsǁ-dʒə-/ [adjective]
unable to believe something because it is so surprising that it seems impossible :
▪ Everyone looked incredulous when I said I used to drive a taxi.
▪ ‘A millionaire!’ she was incredulous. ‘Like hell he is!’
▪ The announcement was met by incredulous laughter.
4. what you say to someone when you do not believe them
▷ you’re kidding/you’re joking /jɔːʳ ˈkɪdɪŋ, jɔːʳ ˈdʒəʊkɪŋ/ spoken informal
say this when you are very surprised by what someone has just said and cannot believe that it is true :
▪ They got married! You’re kidding!
▪ ‘When he sat down, the chair just collapsed.’ ‘You’re joking.’
▷ come off it /come on /kʌm ˈɒf ɪt, kʌm ˈɒn/ spoken informal
say this when you cannot believe what someone has said, and you think they do not really believe it themselves :
▪ ‘He kind of reminds me of myself at that age.’ ‘Oh come off it. When you were that age all you wanted to do was have fun.’
▪ Oh come on Keith - do you really expect me to believe that?
▷ yeah, right /jeə, raɪt/ spoken informal
say this when you do not believe something that someone has said, and you think they are deliberately telling you something that is not true :
▪ ‘I really wanted to come, but I overslept.’ ‘Yeah, right. Then why didn’t you set your alarm?’
▷ (a) likely story /(ə) ˈlaɪkli ˌstɔːri/ spoken
say this when you think someone is telling you something that they know is not true :
▪ ‘I was going to pay the money back as soon as I saw you.’ ‘Yeah. Likely story!’
▷ pull the other one /ˌpʊl ði ˈʌðəʳ wʌn/ British spoken
say this when it is very clear that someone is not telling you the truth or that they are trying to trick you :
▪ Oh, pull the other one, John. You can’t seriously expect me to believe that!
▷ get out of here! /get ˈaʊt əv ˌhɪəʳ/ American spoken
say this when you think that something is very surprising or that someone is not telling you the truth or is trying to trick you :
▪ ‘I got the car for just $350 dollars.’ ‘Get out of here!’
▷ I wasn’t born yesterday /aɪ ˌwɒznt bɔːʳn ˈjestəʳdiǁ -ˌwɑːznt-/ spoken
say this when you think someone is lying to you and you want to show them that you are not stupid enough to believe it :
▪ You can’t expect me to trust you after all the other promises you’ve broken, you know. I wasn’t born yesterday.
5. when something seems likely to be true
▷ believable /bɪˈliːvəb ə l, bəˈliːvəb ə l/ [adjective]
if a story, explanation etc is believable, you can believe it because it seems possible or likely :
▪ The plot is believable, but the characters aren’t very interesting.
▪ Hardly anything they put on the news programs these days is believable.
▷ convincing /kənˈvɪnsɪŋ/ [adjective]
a convincing explanation, argument, reason etc seems likely to be true :
▪ I didn’t find any of their arguments very convincing.
▪ There is no convincing evidence that the tax cut will produce new jobs.
▷ plausible /ˈplɔːzɪb ə l, ˈplɔːzəb ə l/ [adjective]
something that is plausible seems reasonable and likely to be true, even though it may actually be untrue - use this especially about an explanation, excuse, or idea :
▪ His explanation sounds fairly plausible to me.
▪ I need to think of a plausible excuse for not going to the meeting.
▷ credible /ˈkredɪb ə l, ˈkredəb ə l/ [adjective]
something that is credible can be believed because it seems likely or because you trust the person who is saying it :
▪ Her story is completely credible - she doesn’t usually exaggerate.
▪ The complaint would be more credible if he could remember more specific details.
credibility /ˌkredɪˈbɪləti, ˌkredəˈbɪləti/ [uncountable noun]
▪ Your story lends credibility to one of the witnesses’ statements makes it seem credible .
▷ have a ring of truth /hæv ə ˌrɪŋ əv ˈtruːθ/ [verb phrase not in progressive]
a story or explanation that has a ring of truth contains something that makes you believe it, even though it does not at first seem true :
▪ I don’t really trust her, but some of what she says has a ring of truth.
▪ Lies by their nature have a ring of truth - otherwise, people wouldn’t believe them.
6. when something seems very unlikely to be true
▷ unbelievable /ˌʌnbɪˈliːvəb ə l, ˌʌnbəˈliːvəb ə l/ [adjective]
difficult or impossible to believe :
▪ The things he had heard about her were almost unbelievable.
it is unbelievable how/that
▪ It’s unbelievable how nasty people can be.
▪ I find it unbelievable that Mr. Carey does not remember the meeting at all.
▷ unlikely /ʌnˈlaɪkli/ [adjective]
a story, explanation, or excuse that is unlikely cannot be believed because it is so unusual :
▪ That sounds a pretty unlikely story to me!
▪ Students invent all sorts of unlikely explanations as to why they can’t do their homework.
it is unlikely (that)
▪ I think it’s unlikely that the police had anything to do with it.
highly unlikely
▪ It’s highly unlikely that Burton will be the party’s nominee.
▷ improbable /ɪmˈprɒbəb ə lǁ-ˈprɑː-/ [adjective]
a statement or event that is improbable is difficult to believe, even though it may in fact be true or may actually have happened :
▪ The Rockets managed an improbable victory in last night’s game.
it is improbable that
▪ It’s improbable that she would have been so successful without famous parents.
highly improbable
▪ It’s highly improbable that someone would win the lottery twice.
▷ implausible /ɪmˈplɔːzɪb ə l, ɪmˈplɔːzəb ə l/ [adjective]
a statement or explanation that is implausible is difficult to believe because it is not like the way things usually happen :
▪ Jill says she can earn $50,000 from the job, but this is an implausible figure.
▪ The idea that a virus could wipe out an entire city so quickly seems a little implausible.
▷ incredible /ɪnˈkredɪb ə l, ɪnˈkredəb ə l/ [adjective]
something that is incredible is so surprising or strange that it is difficult to believe, even though it is probably true :
▪ This factory was capable of producing an incredible 100 cars per hour.
it is incredible that
▪ It is incredible that the police still haven’t caught him.
▷ inconceivable /ˌɪnkənˈsiːvəb ə l/ [adjective]
something that is inconceivable is so surprising or strange that it seems you cannot believe that it could possibly happen or be true :
▪ The amount of time and money they have wasted on the project is inconceivable.
it is inconceivable that
▪ It’s inconceivable that university officials would fire someone as talented and loyal as Professor Schultz.
▷ unconvincing /ˌʌnkənˈvɪnsɪŋ◂/ [adjective]
ideas, statements, and excuses that are unconvincing do not seem to be true or right and you cannot be persuaded to believe that they are :
▪ Peter came to me with a rather unconvincing apology.
▪ Their denial was unconvincing in view of the physical evidence linking them to the bombing.
▷ far-fetched /ˌfɑːʳ ˈfetʃt◂/ [adjective]
an idea, story, or explanation that is far-fetched is difficult to believe because it sounds so surprising, unusual, or impossible :
▪ The idea of travelling to other solar systems may sound far-fetched but scientists now see it as a real possibility.
▪ His lawyers argue that the charges are based on a far-fetched conspiracy theory.
▷ preposterous /prɪˈpɒst ə rəsǁ-ˈpɑːs-/ [adjective] formal
an idea, story, or explanation that is preposterous is impossible to believe because it sounds completely unreasonable :
▪ It’s a preposterous claim that the government is trying to poison its citizens.
it is preposterous that
▪ It is preposterous that Bruce did not know that we were there.
▷ lame /leɪm/ [adjective]
an excuse or explanation that is lame is difficult to believe, because the person who says it has not tried hard enough to make it sound true :
▪ She’s always got some lame excuse for being late.
▪ It sounded lame but I really had lost my ticket.
7. when you believe or do not believe that God, ghosts etc exist
▷ believe in /bɪˈliːv ɪn, bəˈliːv ɪn/ [transitive phrasal verb not in progressive]
▪ Do your kids still believe in Santa Claus?
▪ According to one survey, 94% of Americans believe in God or a universal spirit.
▷ atheist /ˈeɪθi-ɪst, ˈeɪθi-əst/ [countable noun]
someone who does not believe in any god :
▪ A lot of young people in England these days are atheists.
atheism [uncountable noun]
▪ Christianity still flourished there, despite the official state doctrine of atheism.
▷ agnostic /ægˈnɒstɪk, əg-ǁ-ˈnɑː-/ [countable noun]
someone who believes that it is impossible to be certain whether God exists or not :
▪ She likes to keep an open mind in religious matters and so refers to herself as an agnostic.
agnosticism /ægˈnɒstɪsɪz ə m, əg-ǁ-ˈnɑː-/ [uncountable noun]
▪ Despite their arguments, I still saw no reason to abandon my agnosticism.
8. something that someone believes
▷ belief /bɪˈliːf, bəˈliːf/ [countable/uncountable noun]
▪ We need to learn to accept people who have different beliefs from ours.
belief that
▪ Their experiments were based on the belief that you could make gold from other metals.
belief in
▪ She never lost her belief in God.
political/religious beliefs
▪ They were put in prison because of their political beliefs.
belief system
▪ People with a strong spiritual or philosophical belief system are more likely to remain healthy.
contrary to popular belief
despite what most people believe
▪ Contrary to popular belief, cold weather does not make you ill.
▷ faith /feɪθ/ [uncountable noun]
a strong belief that something is true or can be trusted, especially religious belief :
faith in
▪ It was her faith in God that helped her survive the long years in prison.
▪ He places a great deal of faith in people’s honesty.
shake somebody’s faith
make someone doubt what they believe
▪ The judge’s decision shook her faith in the legal system.
▷ superstition /ˌsuːpəʳˈstɪʃ ə n, ˌsjuː-ǁˌsuː-/ [countable/uncountable noun]
a belief that some objects or actions are lucky and some are unlucky, based on old ideas of magic :
▪ Some scientists view all religion as superstition.
superstition that
▪ It’s an old superstition that walking under a ladder is unlucky.
superstitious /ˌsuːpəʳstɪʃəs◂, ˌsjuː-ǁˌsuː-/ [adjective]
too ready to believe old-fashioned ideas about particular objects or actions being lucky or unlucky :
▪ He won’t go anywhere near the cemetery because he’s so superstitious.
▪ Don’t listen to what she says about birds in the house being bad luck - it’s just superstitious nonsense.
9. something that someone believes that is definitely not true
▷ illusion /ɪˈluːʒ ə n/ [countable noun]
a belief or idea that is false, especially a belief in something good about yourself or about the situation you are in :
▪ She thought he loved her but it was just an illusion.
▪ Alcohol gives some people the illusion of being witty and confident.
illusion that
▪ There seems to be a widespread illusion that there are no class barriers anymore.
under an illusion
▪ People had bought these houses under the illusion that their value would just keep on rising.
▷ fallacy /ˈfæləsi/ [countable noun]
something that a lot of people believe but which is completely untrue :
▪ The idea that a good night’s sleep will cure everything is a complete fallacy.
▪ It’s a fallacy that all fat people are fat simply because they eat too much.
▷ myth /mɪθ/ [countable noun]
something a lot of people believe because they want to believe it, not because it is based on fact :
▪ The first myth about motherhood is that new mothers instantly fall in love with their babies.
▪ It is a myth that battered women deserve or want to be beaten.
▷ delusion /dɪˈluːʒ ə n/ [countable noun]
a completely mistaken idea about yourself or the situation you are in, especially one that everyone else knows is wrong :
▪ She now had to finally forget the dreams and delusions of her youth
under a delusion
▪ I was still under the delusion that everyone was trying to cheat me.
▷ mistaken belief /mɪˌsteɪkən bə̇ˈliːf/ [countable noun]
a belief you have that is wrong, although you do not realize it is wrong at the time when you have it :
▪ When I started as a teacher I had the mistaken belief that all kids are interested in learning.
▷ misconception /ˌmɪskənˈsepʃ ə n/ [countable noun]
something that is not true but which people believe because they do not have all the facts or they have not properly understood the situation :
▪ No, it’s not actually true that rail travel is more expensive - that’s a misconception.
misconception that
▪ Employers seem to share the general misconception that young people are more efficient than older workers.
▷ old wives’ tale /ˌəʊld ˈwaɪvz ˌteɪl/ [countable noun]
a popular belief or piece of advice that has existed for a long time but which you think is stupid :
▪ It’s not true that if trees have a lot of fruit in the autumn it will be a cold winter - that’s just an old wives’ tale.