Definition of skeptical
:relating to, characteristic of, or marked by skepticism
- a skeptical listener
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Examples of skeptical in a Sentence
She's highly skeptical of the researchers' claims.
He says he can win, but I remain skeptical.
When I said I'd finished my homework early, Mom looked skeptical.
Recent Examples of skeptical from the Web
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Dearborn appeared to be skeptical of the meeting, according to sources, but he was involved in another event that’s drawn scrutiny from investigators.
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Not so long ago moviegoers of any gender would have been skeptical of such a scene with a woman, but no one will have trouble believing Theron’s ferocity.
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Richard Dawkins, the famously skeptical evolutionary biologist, was the last shoe to drop.
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Investors remain skeptical that Ford can take on Silicon Valley stalwarts like Alphabet Inc., Apple Inc. and Tesla that are aiming to dominate the autonomous age.
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Mr. Trump, who is deeply skeptical about sending more American troops to Afghanistan, has suggested that this could be one justification for the United States to stay engaged in the country.
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Still, the horn itself has yet to be mentioned at all in the show, leaving fans skeptical that such a powerful object could make a sudden appearance.
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Edwards has also wanted more oversight of charter schools and is very skeptical of vouchers.
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Yet the public is skeptical, and most Americans are unaware of the size of CEO paychecks at large corporations.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'skeptical.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of skeptical
1639
skeptical Synonyms
Synonyms
disbelieving, distrustful, doubting, incredulous, mistrustful, negativistic, questioning, show-me, suspecting, suspicious, unbelievingAntonyms
credulous, gullible (also gullable), trustful, trusting, uncritical, unquestioningRelated Words
paranoid (also paranoidal); critical, puzzled, quizzical; careful, cautious, guarded, gun-shy, leery (also leary), wary, watchful; cynical, experienced, knowing, sophisticated, worldly, worldly-wise; curious, inquiring, inquisitive, nosy (or nosey), snoopy; uncertain, unconvinced, undecided, undetermined, unsettled, unsure; hesitantNear Antonyms
green, ingenuous, innocent, naive (or naïve), simple, simpleminded, unknowing, unsophisticated, unworldly, wide-eyed; certain, confident, positive, sure; callow, inexperienced, raw; childlike, idealistic, impractical; beguiled, deceived, duped, gulled, tricked; careless, heedless, unsuspecting, unsuspicious, unwaryOther Philosophy Terms
SKEPTICAL Defined for English Language Learners
skeptical
play
adjective
Definition of skeptical for English Language Learners
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: having or expressing doubt about something (such as a claim or statement)
SKEPTICAL Defined for Kids
skeptical
play
adjective
skep·ti·cal
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ˈskep-ti-kəl
\
Definition of skeptical for Students
:having or showing doubt
- He thinks he'll make money, but I'm skeptical.
Learn More about skeptical
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for skeptical Spanish Central: Translation of skeptical Nglish: Translation of skeptical for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of skeptical for Arabic speakers
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