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skeptical

American  
[skep-ti-kuhl] / ˈskɛp tɪ kəl /
Or sceptical

adjective

  1. inclined to skepticism; having an attitude of doubt.

    a skeptical young woman who will question whatever you say.
    Synonyms:
    skeptic

  2. doubtful about a particular thing.

    My teacher thinks I can get a scholarship, but I'm skeptical.

  3. showing doubt.

    a skeptical smile.

  4. denying or questioning the tenets of a religion.

    a skeptical approach to the nature of miracles.
    Synonyms:
    unbelieving

  5. (initial capital letter) of or relating to Skeptics or Skepticism.

Related Words

See doubtful.

Other Word Forms

  • antiskeptical adjective
  • nonskeptical adjective
  • overskeptical adjective
  • overskeptically adverb
  • overskepticalness noun
  • skeptically adverb
  • skepticalness noun
  • unskeptical adjective
  • unskeptically adverb

Etymology

Origin of skeptical

First recorded in 1630–40; skeptic + -al 1

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.