Credulity is being far too ready to believe things. Strain credulity, exploit their credulity, boundless credulity.
Strains credulity is the standard phrase, meaning a claim is barely believable. It is not the same as credibility, which is about the claim rather than the hearer — the two are constantly confused. The Latin credere means to believe.
1nouncredulityBeing far too ready to believe things.
“The con man took advantage of the old man's credulity to sell him fake gold.”
credulity is a readiness to believe.
Latin credulitas comes from credere, to believe. Credit and creed are relatives.
Proto-Indo-European
*ḱerd-
Latin
crēdulitās
Middle French
credulité
Middle English
credulite — faith, belief
English, today
credulity
Middle English credulite (“faith, belief”), borrowed from Middle French credulité (French crédulité), from Latin crēdulitās. Corresponding to credulous + -ity (compare credulosity).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA