implausible
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implausible
Not seeming believable or convincing; hard to believe.
Seine Entschuldigung, er habe den Wecker nicht gehört, klang nach dem dritten Mal unglaubwürdig.
His excuse that he hadn't heard the alarm clock sounded implausible after the third time.
The word can be broken down into three parts: the negation 'un-', the stem of the verb 'glauben' (to believe), and the ending '-würdig' (worthy of). So it literally means that something or someone is 'not worthy of being believed'.
Die Spezialeffekte im Film waren so schlecht, dass die ganze Handlung unglaubwürdig wirkte.
The special effects in the film were so bad that the whole plot seemed implausible.
You distinguish whether a thing or a person is 'unglaubwürdig' (implausible/untrustworthy). An 'unglaubwürdige Geschichte' (implausible story) is hard to believe. An 'unglaubwürdiger Zeuge' (untrustworthy witness) is a person you do not trust.
Seine Erklärung für die Verspätung klang unglaubwürdig.
His explanation for being late sounded implausible.
'Unglaubwürdig' (implausible) is often used to evaluate statements. Typical combinations are: 'eine unglaubwürdige Ausrede' (an implausible excuse), 'eine unglaubwürdige Geschichte' (an implausible story), or 'eine unglaubwürdige Erklärung' (an implausible explanation).
Er kam mit einer unglaubwürdigen Ausrede, warum er zu spät war.
He came up with an implausible excuse for why he was late.
An important expression is 'sich unglaubwürdig machen' (to make oneself lose credibility). It means that through one's own behavior, for example by lying or making contradictory statements, one causes others to no longer trust them.
Mit seinen ständigen Widersprüchen hat sich der Politiker selbst unglaubwürdig gemacht.
With his constant contradictions, the politician made himself lose credibility.
incredible
'unglaublich' and 'unglaubwürdig' both have to do with belief and doubt. The important difference is: 'unglaublich' describes something very special, extreme, or surprising. It can be positive or negative and is often used simply as an intensifier like 'very'. 'unglaubwürdig', on the other hand, means that something seems unconvincing or untrustworthy. An 'unglaubliche Geschichte' can be very exciting or amazing. An 'unglaubwürdige Geschichte' is a story you are more likely not to believe. Learners easily confuse the words because both sound like 'not believe'. As a memory aid: 'unglaublich' emphasizes intensity, while 'unglaubwürdig' emphasizes doubt.
Seine Erklärung am Telefon klingt unglaubwürdig, weil sich viele Details widersprechen.
His explanation on the phone sounds implausible because many details contradict each other.
In der Bibliothek war es am Montag unglaublich ruhig.
It was incredibly quiet in the library on Monday.