skeptical
adjective
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Definition of skeptical
: relating to, characteristic of, or marked by skepticism a skeptical listener
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Other Words from skeptical
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adverb
Synonyms & Antonyms for skeptical
Synonyms
disbelieving, distrustful, doubting, incredulous, mistrustful, questioning, suspecting, suspicious, unbelieving
Antonyms
credulous, gullible (also gullable), trustful, trusting, uncritical, unquestioning
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Examples of skeptical in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The big question would, in fact, be whether Democrats — who as a congressional caucus have generally been much more skeptical of trade — would bail Trump out by upholding his veto. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "Paul Ryan’s pathetic excuse for not challenging Trump on trade, explained," 12 July 2018 But while some customers are thrilled to have gotten their mojo back, others are more skeptical about the effects of hydrotherapy. — Zahria Rogers, The Courier-Journal, "Concierge IV hydration therapy service seeks to rehydrate Louisville," 12 July 2018 The prison’s recreation supervisor, Skip Arjo, was more skeptical. — latimes.com, "'They framed me': On death row for decades, Kevin Cooper pushes for new DNA tests in Chino Hills murders," 8 July 2018 Pompeo is making his third trip to Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital, even as others — including his rivals in the administration — have been more skeptical of the diplomatic efforts. — Gardiner Harris, BostonGlobe.com, "Pompeo arrives in North Korea to try to curb its nuclear program," 6 July 2018 Conversely, some — such as Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) — who had thought the United States needed to look tough during the Cold War were more skeptical about the use of force once this struggle was over. — Jonathan M. Dicicco, Washington Post, "Fifty years ago, American troops abandoned Khe Sanh. Here’s how the U.S. got over ‘Vietnam syndrome.’," 5 July 2018 Older voters and rural voters — two groups that Walker has carried in his three elections — were more skeptical than not about Foxconn in the survey. — Craig Gilbert, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Foxconn looms as election wild card in Wisconsin for Scott Walker," 27 June 2018 The Federal Circuit loves software patents; the Supreme Court is more skeptical. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Why a 40-year-old SCOTUS ruling against software patents still matters today," 21 June 2018 Others are more skeptical about his plans to speed up the tunnel wall building. — Aarian Marshall, WIRED, "Elon Musk’s Boring Company Wins a Big Boring Contract in Chicago," 14 June 2018These 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.
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More Definitions for skeptical
skeptical
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of skeptical
: having or expressing doubt about something (such as a claim or statement)
See the full definition for skeptical in the English Language Learners Dictionary
skeptical
adjective
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Kids Definition of skeptical
: having or showing doubt He thinks he'll make money, but I'm skeptical.
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