believably
gb/bˈɛlˈivəbli/ us/bˈɛlˈivəbli/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
adverb
C1
property
1
in a convincing way
in a way that makes people believe it
Usage pattern:
[someone] [does something] believably
Common mistake:
Do not confuse with unbelievable/"incredibly"; believably means it seems believable, not shocking.
Synonyms
convincingly (Emphasizes persuading the audience that something is real.)
|
credibly (Emphasizes trustworthiness and plausibility.)
Antonyms
unconvincingly (Does not persuade; seems fake or forced.)
|
implausibly (Seems unlikely or hard to accept as true.)
Collocations
act believably
|play the role believably
|portray [someone] believably
|deliver the lines believably
|believably realistic
|believably portrayed
|believably written
|believably human
|believably flawed
|believably sincere
Themes
communication
|media
|opinions
Examples
- The actor played the character believably, without exaggeration.
- She believably describes what happened, down to the smallest detail.
- The dialogue is written believably, so the scene feels natural.
Learner examples
- He acted believably.
- She spoke believably about her plan.
adverb
C1
relation
2
plausibly; as seems likely
in a way that seems possible or likely
Usage pattern:
believably, [clause]
Common mistake:
In this use, believably comments on the whole statement (similar to 'arguably'), not on a single action.
Synonyms
arguably (Signals a reasonable claim that others might dispute.)
|
conceivably (Emphasizes possibility rather than probability.)
|
plausibly (Directly focuses on how likely something seems.)
Antonyms
inconceivably (So unlikely that it is hard to imagine.)
|
implausibly (Unlikely in a way that strains belief.)
Collocations
believably, this could be
|believably, it might be
|believably, the reason is
|believably, the answer is
|believably, the best option
|believably possible
|believably true
|believably the case
Themes
reasoning
|opinions
Examples
- Believably, the delay was caused by a power outage.
- Believably, he assumed the meeting was canceled after the email.
- The team could believably win the league this year.
Learner examples
- Believably, it was an accident.
adverb
C1
quantity
3
to a realistic degree
to a realistic level (not too much)
Usage pattern:
believably + [adjective/adverb]
Common mistake:
This use often modifies an adjective/adverb (e.g., 'believably small'), not a noun.
Synonyms
realistically (Focuses on matching reality or what is typical.)
|
within reason (Emphasizes staying inside acceptable limits.)
Antonyms
ridiculously (So extreme that it seems silly or impossible.)
|
absurdly (So unreasonable that it cannot be taken seriously.)
Collocations
believably small
|believably large
|believably quick
|believably strong
|believably simple
|believably complex
|believably detailed
|believably messy
|believably imperfect
|believably different
Themes
description
|media
Examples
- The apartment is believably small for the neighborhood.
- He made the character believably awkward, not cartoonish.
- The villain is believably powerful, but still has limits.
Learner examples
- The room is believably small.
Grammar
Dictionary form
believably
IPA
GB/bˈɛlˈivəbli/
US/bˈɛlˈivəbli/
Syllables & stress
be - liev - ably (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (be)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: believably
- Plural: believablies
Word family
Forms
believablies
noun
Related words
believer
noun B1
Negative and opposite forms
Advanced or less common
believability
noun
Expressions
all too believably
1/ˈɔl tˈu bˈɛlˈivəbli/
fixed phrase
unfortunately easy to believe
sadly, it is very easy to believe
Examples
- All too believably, the budget was cut again.
- All too believably, the email turned out to be a scam.
- All too believably, the project failed for the same reasons as before.
believably enough
1/bˈɛlˈivəbli ɪnˈʌf/
fixed phrase
informal
surprisingly, but understandably
used to say something is surprising but believable
Examples
- Believably enough, the smallest team finished first.
- Believably enough, nobody noticed the typo for weeks.
- Believably enough, the restaurant was empty on a Friday night.