Gullible describes someone who trusts others too easily and is quick to believe things that may not be true. Gullible people can be easily tricked or fooled.
From “gull,” an old verb meaning “to cheat or trick,” possibly from a word for “throat” (as in swallowing things). The suffix “-ible” means “able to be,” so “gullible” is “able to be tricked.”
At its core, gullible is about swallowing things too easily—ideas instead of food. The word quietly warns that your mental “throat” needs a filter, not just an open door.
Stereotypes have sometimes framed women, especially young women, as more gullible or easily deceived, justifying paternalistic control. Similar tropes have been applied to other marginalized groups to question their judgment.
Avoid labeling people as inherently gullible; critique specific information asymmetries or manipulative practices instead of essentializing traits, and do not apply the term disproportionately to any gender.
["easily misled (in this context)","trusting","unsuspecting"]
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