Idioms are fun phrases that mean something different from the actual words inside them. People use them to make their speaking and writing more colorful, exciting, and full of life. In this guide, you will discover many helpful expressions that capture the feeling of complete disbelief.
In this lesson, we’ll look at idioms for disbelief that mean finding something hard to believe or shocking. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.
Idioms for Disbelief
1. Hard to swallow
Meaning: Something that is difficult to believe or accept as true.
For Example: His excuse for forgetting his homework was a bit hard to swallow. / The story about the puppy opening the door by itself sounded hard to swallow.
Other Ways to Say: Unbelievable / Doubtful
2. Pull the other one
Meaning: An expression used to tell someone you do not believe their silly story.
For Example: You found a twenty-dollar bill on the playground? Pull the other one! / He said he could jump over the fence, and I told him to pull the other one.
Other Ways to Say: I doubt it / You are joking
3. Pulling my leg
Meaning: Teasing someone by telling them an untrue story just for fun.
For Example: I knew she was just pulling my leg when she said school was cancelled on a Tuesday. / Don’t believe him when he says he won the contest; he’s just pulling my leg.
Other Ways to Say: Joking around / Teasing
4. Hard to credit
Meaning: Hard to accept as true or genuine.
For Example: It was hard to credit that our small team won the whole soccer tournament. / The incredible magic trick was so fast it was hard to credit.
Other Ways to Say: Unbelievable / Hard to believe
5. Take it with a grain of salt
Meaning: To not completely believe a story because it might not be true.
For Example: When he bragged about scoring ten goals, we took it with a grain of salt. / You should take those wild rumors with a grain of salt.
Other Ways to Say: Be skeptical / Doubt slightly
6. Not buy it
Meaning: To refuse to believe what someone is telling you.
For Example: Mom said she didn’t eat the last cookie, but the chocolate on her face meant I wasn’t buying it. / The teacher listened to his excuse and clearly wasn’t buying it.
Other Ways to Say: Disbelieve / Doubt
7. See it to believe it
Meaning: Needing to witness something personally before you can accept it as real.
For Example: When my friend said he built a flying robot, I told him I had to see it to believe it. / A fish that big sounds fake, but I need to see it to believe it.
Other Ways to Say: Show me / Prove it
8. Mind boggling
Meaning: So surprising and strange that it is hard for your brain to accept.
For Example: The sheer size of the dinosaur bones at the museum was mind boggling. / Trying to count all the stars in the night sky is truly mind boggling.
Other Ways to Say: Unbelievable / Astounding
9. Beyond belief
Meaning: So extreme or shocking that people cannot accept it as true.
For Example: The magic show featured tricks that were completely beyond belief. / Her skill at solving the rubik’s cube in ten seconds was beyond belief.
Other Ways to Say: Unbelievable / Incredible
10. Talk of the town
Meaning: Something so surprising that everyone is talking about it in disbelief.
For Example: Winning the state championship made our small school the talk of the town. / The strange mystery at the park became the talk of the town.
Other Ways to Say: Big news / Sensation
11. Drop one’s jaw
Meaning: To show absolute shock and disbelief with your facial expression.
For Example: Winning the grand prize made Leo drop his jaw in total surprise. / When the magician pulled a rabbit from an empty hat, everyone dropped their jaws.
Other Ways to Say: Be stunned / Look shocked
12. Knock someone’s socks off
Meaning: To surprise someone so much that they cannot believe it.
For Example: The incredible guitar solo at the talent show really knocked our socks off. / Her amazing science project will knock the judges’ socks off.
Other Ways to Say: Stun completely / Amaze greatly
13. Blow someone away
Meaning: To astonish someone with something they find hard to believe possible.
For Example: The singer’s powerful voice completely blew the audience away. / The special effects in the movie blew everyone away.
Other Ways to Say: Astonish / Amaze
14. Take someone’s breath away
Meaning: To be so amazingly surprising that you are left speechless.
For Example: The view from the top of the mountain took my breath away. / Her beautiful piano performance took everyone’s breath away.
Other Ways to Say: Leave speechless / Stun
15. Stunned silence
Meaning: A quiet room filled with people who cannot believe what just happened.
For Example: After the unexpected announcement, a stunned silence fell over the classroom. / The trick ended, leaving the audience in stunned silence for a second.
Other Ways to Say: Shocked quiet / Speechless room
16. Fall off one’s chair
Meaning: To react with massive surprise and disbelief to news.
For Example: I nearly fell off my chair when I heard we were getting an extra week of vacation. / When he said he passed the tough test, she almost fell off her chair.
Other Ways to Say: Be shocked / Express disbelief
17. Knock me over with a feather
Meaning: An expression used to show extreme shock and disbelief.
For Example: When I found out I won the art contest, you could have knocked me over with a feather. / He arrived early for once, and you could have knocked me over with a feather.
Other Ways to Say: Very surprised / Shocked
18. Not know what to make of it
Meaning: To feel confused and unsure how to believe a strange event.
For Example: When the strange package arrived with no name, we didn’t know what to make of it. / His confusing explanation left the class not knowing what to make of it.
Other Ways to Say: Be puzzled / Feel unsure
19. Scratch one’s head
Meaning: To show confusion and disbelief about a strange situation.
For Example: Finding my missing shoes inside the refrigerator made me scratch my head. / The confusing math problem had everyone scratching their heads.
Other Ways to Say: Be confused / Ponder
20. Raising eyebrows
Meaning: Causing people to feel doubt, disbelief, or surprise.
For Example: His wild story about seeing a bear in the school yard was raising eyebrows. / The sudden change in the rules started raising eyebrows among the players.
Other Ways to Say: Cause doubt / Look suspicious
21. Look twice
Meaning: To check something again because you cannot believe your eyes.
For Example: I had to look twice at the scoreboard to make sure our team actually won. / Seeing my teacher at the skate park made me look twice.
Other Ways to Say: Double take / Check again
22. Double take
Meaning: A quick second look caused by sudden shock or disbelief.
For Example: When the puppy wore a tiny hat, everyone did a double take. / I did a double take when I saw the price of the giant ice cream sundae.
Other Ways to Say: Look again / Sudden glance
23. Pinch oneself
Meaning: To test if an amazing and unbelievable event is actually real.
For Example: Winning tickets to meet my favorite author made me want to pinch myself. / Standing on the stage receiving the trophy, I had to pinch myself.
Other Ways to Say: Test reality / Make sure it is real
24. Dream come true
Meaning: Something so wonderful happening that you can hardly believe it.
For Example: Getting a brand new puppy for my birthday was a dream come true. / Visiting space camp was a dream come true for the young science fan.
Other Ways to Say: Unbelievable joy / Wonderful reality
25. Too good to be true
Meaning: Something that sounds so amazing that you doubt it is real.
For Example: Winning a free computer just by signing up sounded too good to be true. / Getting out of homework for a week sounded too good to be true.
Other Ways to Say: Doubtful deal / Suspiciously good
26. Fishy story
Meaning: A story or excuse that seems dishonest or hard to believe.
For Example: His excuse about why his report was late sounded like a fishy story. / The teacher knew it was a fishy story when three students had the exact same excuse.
Other Ways to Say: Suspicious tale / Doubtful claim
27. Smell a rat
Meaning: To suspect that something dishonest is happening behind the scenes.
For Example: When everyone suddenly became quiet as I walked in, I started to smell a rat. / The detective began to smell a rat when the clues didn’t match up.
Other Ways to Say: Be suspicious / Sense trouble
28. Pull the wool over someone’s eyes
Meaning: To trick someone into believing something untrue.
For Example: He tried pulling the wool over my eyes by saying the dog ate his puzzle pieces. / You cannot pull the wool over the teacher’s eyes with that silly excuse.
Other Ways to Say: Fool someone / Trick
29. Take someone for a ride
Meaning: To trick or deceive someone by making them believe a false story.
For Example: We realized the salesman took us for a ride when the toy broke immediately. / Don’t let older kids take you for a ride with those funny stories.
Other Ways to Say: Fool someone / Deceive
30. Empty promises
Meaning: Promises that sound nice but are hard to believe will happen.
For Example: Saying we will go to the amusement park someday feels like empty promises. / We wanted proof, not just empty promises about the party.
Other Ways to Say: False hopes / Unkept words
31. Pie in the sky
Meaning: An unbelievable or unrealistic plan that will never happen.
For Example: Building a treehouse that reaches the clouds is just pie in the sky. / His plan to sail across the ocean on a raft sounded like pie in the sky.
Other Ways to Say: Unrealistic dream / Impossible idea
32. Castle in the air
Meaning: A dream or plan that is too unbelievable and impractical.
For Example: Winning the lottery to buy a spaceship is just building castles in the air. / Let’s focus on our actual homework instead of castles in the air.
Other Ways to Say: Daydream / Unrealistic plan
33. Tall story
Meaning: An exaggerated and hard-to-believe tale.
For Example: Grandpa told a tall story about catching a fish as big as a boat. / We knew it was just a tall story when he mentioned flying pigs.
Other Ways to Say: Exaggeration / Wild tale
34. Spin a yarn
Meaning: To tell a long, made-up, and unbelievable story.
For Example: The old sailor loved to sit by the dock and spin a yarn for the kids. / He tried to spin a yarn about why his backpack was soaking wet.
Other Ways to Say: Tell stories / Exaggerate
35. Make up stories
Meaning: To invent unbelievable events that never actually happened.
For Example: Little kids love to make up stories about monsters under the bed. / Don’t make up stories about why you missed practice; just tell the truth.
Other Ways to Say: Invent tales / Fabricate
36. Out of thin air
Meaning: Appearing suddenly from nowhere in a way that feels unbelievable.
For Example: My missing eraser vanished and then reappeared out of thin air. / The magic trick made coins appear out of thin air.
Other Ways to Say: Magically / Mysteriously
37. Phantom ideas
Meaning: Thoughts or beliefs that are not real or believable.
For Example: Worrying about aliens attacking the school are just phantom ideas. / Let’s stick to real facts instead of chasing phantom ideas.
Other Ways to Say: Imaginary thoughts / Unreal notions
38. Smoke and mirrors
Meaning: Tricks and deception used to make something unbelievable seem real.
For Example: The stage magician’s amazing floating trick was just smoke and mirrors. / His complicated explanation felt like a bunch of smoke and mirrors.
Other Ways to Say: Illusion / Trickery
39. Wild goose chase
Meaning: A foolish and unbelievable search for something impossible to find.
For Example: Looking for my lost crayon in the huge park felt like a wild goose chase. / Don’t send us on a wild goose chase for items we don’t have.
Other Ways to Say: Hopeless search / Silly errand
40. Cut of one’s jib
Meaning: Judging someone’s character and whether you can believe them.
For Example: I liked the cut of his jib when he offered to share his lunch. / The new coach had a nice style, and we liked the cut of his jib.
Other Ways to Say: Appearance / Character style
41. Give the benefit of the doubt
Meaning: To choose to believe someone even when you have some doubts.
For Example: Even though his excuse sounded strange, the teacher gave him the benefit of the doubt. / I wasn’t sure if he told the truth, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt.
Other Ways to Say: Trust tentatively / Believe anyway
42. Take someone at their word
Meaning: To believe what someone says completely without needing proof.
For Example: When my friend promised to help clean up, I took him at his word. / You can usually take her at her word because she never lies.
Other Ways to Say: Trust completely / Believe fully
43. Swear on a stack of Bibles
Meaning: To strongly promise that something unbelievable is actually true.
For Example: He tried to swear on a stack of Bibles that he didn’t eat the cake. / Even when she swore on a stack of Bibles, we still had our doubts.
Other Ways to Say: Promise honestly / Vow strongly
44. Cross my heart and hope to die
Meaning: A solemn promise used to prove an unbelievable claim is real.
For Example: I really did finish my math homework, cross my heart and hope to die! / He promised he wouldn’t tell the secret, crossing his heart and hoping to die.
Other Ways to Say: Promise truly / Vow sincerely
45. On my honor
Meaning: Using your personal reputation to make people believe you.
For Example: I left my science project at home, on my honor! / The scout promised on his honor that he followed all the rules.
Other Ways to Say: Honestly / Solemn promise
46. Hand on heart
Meaning: Making a sincere promise that your unbelievable story is true.
For Example: Hand on heart, I had nothing to do with the prank in the hallway. / She said, hand on heart, that she practiced the piano for an hour.
Other Ways to Say: Honestly / Sincerely speaking
47. Truth is stranger than fiction
Meaning: Real-life events can be so unbelievable they sound like made-up stories.
For Example: Finding a stray dog wearing a bowtie on our porch proved that truth is stranger than fiction. / The strange coincidence made us realize truth is stranger than fiction.
Other Ways to Say: Reality beats stories / Unbelievable facts
48. Believe it or not
Meaning: An expression used to introduce a true fact that sounds unbelievable.
For Example: Believe it or not, I actually finished reading this massive book in one weekend. / Believe it or not, my cat can open the screen door.
Other Ways to Say: Surprisingly / Strange as it sounds
49. Strange as it may seem
Meaning: Introducing a fact that feels hard to believe at first.
For Example: Strange as it may seem, I actually prefer broccoli over chocolate cake. / Strange as it may seem, the smallest puppy was the fastest runner.
Other Ways to Say: Surprisingly / Oddly enough
50. Oddly enough
Meaning: Describing a surprising situation that makes you scratch your head.
For Example: Oddly enough, every time I bring my umbrella, it doesn’t rain. / Oddly enough, the lost keys were found right where we looked first.
Other Ways to Say: Strangely / Surprisingly
51. Stranger than a dream
Meaning: Something so bizarre and unusual that it feels completely unreal.
For Example: The glowing fireflies lighting up the entire room felt stranger than a dream. / Meeting my favorite author at the local grocery store was stranger than a dream.
Other Ways to Say: Unreal / Bizarre
52. Hard to fathom
Meaning: Too complicated or shocking for your mind to fully understand.
For Example: The vastness of outer space is so hard to fathom. / It was hard to fathom how our team scored five goals in five minutes.
Other Ways to Say: Incomprehensible / Hard to grasp
53. Beyond comprehension
Meaning: So extreme or shocking that it cannot be believed or understood.
For Example: The amount of garbage left at the park after the festival was beyond comprehension. / The complexity of the puzzle was beyond comprehension for most of us.
Other Ways to Say: Unbelievable / Incomprehensible
54. Hard to swallow
Meaning: Unbelievable information that is very difficult to accept.
For Example: Losing the championship game by one point was hard to swallow. / His claim that he did zero studying and got an A+ was hard to swallow.
Other Ways to Say: Unacceptable / Hard to accept
55. Not for all the tea in China
Meaning: Expressing complete refusal to believe or do something ridiculous.
For Example: I wouldn’t jump off that high diving board for all the tea in China. / He wouldn’t eat those slimy green vegetables for all the tea in China.
Other Ways to Say: Absolutely not / No way
56. Fat chance
Meaning: An expression showing you do not believe something will ever happen.
For Example: Fat chance he will finish cleaning his room before playing video games. / She thought she might win the lottery, but I told her fat chance.
Other Ways to Say: Unlikely / No way
57. Pigs might fly
Meaning: Used to say that something is completely impossible and unbelievable.
For Example: My brother said he would wash the dishes without being asked, and I told him pigs might fly. / You expect the cat to do your homework? Pigs might fly!
Other Ways to Say: Never happening / Impossible
58. When hell freezes over
Meaning: Meaning something will never, ever happen because it’s unbelievable.
For Example: He said he would let me borrow his favorite video game when hell freezes over. / She promised to clean the garage when hell freezes over.
Other Ways to Say: Never / Not a chance
59. Not on your life
Meaning: A strong way to say you do not believe or agree with something.
For Example: Climb up that rickety ladder? Not on your life! / Eat that mystery casserole? Not on your life.
Other Ways to Say: Absolutely not / No way
60. Pull the wool
Meaning: To deceive someone by making them believe an unbelievable trick.
For Example: He tried to pull the wool over our eyes with that fake magic trick. / You can’t pull the wool over the teacher’s sharp eyes.
Other Ways to Say: Trick / Fool
Exercise to Practice
- His excuse for forgetting his homework was a bit ________.
- You found a twenty-dollar bill on the playground? ________!
- I knew she was just ________ when she said school was cancelled on a Tuesday.
- When my friend said he built a flying robot, I told him I had to ________.
- Winning the grand prize made Leo ________ in total surprise.
- After the unexpected announcement, a ________ fell over the classroom.
- Finding my missing shoes inside the refrigerator made me ________.
- Winning tickets to meet my favorite author made me want to ________.
- Winning a free computer just by signing up sounded too ________.
- His excuse about why his report was late sounded like a ________.
- When my missing eraser vanished and then reappeared ________, we were shocked.
- ________, I actually finished reading this massive book in one weekend.
- The vastness of outer space is so ________.
- My brother said he would wash the dishes without being asked, and I told him ________.
- Climb up that rickety ladder? ________!
Answer Key
- hard to swallow
- pull the other one
- pulling my leg
- see it to believe it
- drop his jaw
- stunned silence
- scratch my head
- pinch oneself
- good to be true
- fishy story
- out of thin air
- believe it or not
- hard to fathom
- pigs might fly
- not on your life
Conclusion
Learning these idioms helps you express surprise, doubt, and disbelief in a much more colorful and fun way. Try using a few of these expressions when telling stories or reacting to funny news this week.
