state of disbelief
1
4.9
- noun
:
estado de incredulidad
- Ultimately, I was left shocked and in a state of disbelief.
Examples
-
Desdemona's what references an inner state of disbelief about Othello's behavior.
Academic text (2005) -
l look around the world, and l'm in a constant state of disbelief.
-
Oh... on Dmitri in a state of disbelief. #Dmitri#
Fiction book (1997) -
They are very worried about the re-election of Obama, and are about as much in a state of disbelief as so many of us are back home.
Blog text (1) -
I was left in a state of disbelief when I heard the unexpected news.
-
After the surprise announcement, we found ourselves in a state of disbelief.
-
Many people experienced a state of disbelief after the shocking event unfolded.
Synonyms
124
5.1
A feeling of doubt about an idea or claim when there is not enough proof
86
3.0
A feeling when you do not think something is true
7
8.1
A feeling of not believing something surprising
A state of not accepting an idea because you doubt it
Antonyms
How Certain
- Literature
202
3.4
104
2.7
1
4.9
- US
124
5.1
∞
1.6
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase 'state of disbelief' is a straightforward composition of 'state' (a condition) and 'disbelief' (not believing), with 'of' serving as a grammatical linker. This noun-of-noun pattern is cross-linguistically common and the meaning is directly derivable by a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.
Etymology
State of disbelief comes from the image of a person in a clear state or condition of disbelief, like someone standing frozen after very surprising news. That's why the phrase means 'not able or willing to believe' what has happened.