gullible

/ˈgʌləbəl/

/ˈgʌlɪbəl/

Other forms: gullibly

If you are gullible, the joke is on you because you are easily fooled.

It is thought that gullible might be derived from the verb gull, meaning "to swallow." This would be a funny coincidence as gullible describes an overly trusting person who tends to swallow the stories he hears whole. The related word, gull, can be used as a noun "don't be such a gull!" or as a verb "you can't gull me into believing that!"

Definitions of gullible

1. adjective

   naive and easily deceived or tricked
   “at that early age she had been gullible and in love”

   synonyms: fleeceable, green

   naif, naive

   marked by or showing unaffected simplicity and lack of guile or worldly experience
2. adjective

   easily tricked because of being too trusting
   “gullible tourists taken in by the shell game”

   synonyms:

   unwary

   not alert to danger or deception