skeptical
adjective
skep·ti·cal
ˈskep-ti-kəl 
: relating to, characteristic of, or marked by skepticism
a skeptical listener
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 on the Web
Still, there’s reason to be skeptical, after a bipartisan deal passed out of the Senate last year only to be blocked by the House.
—
Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 10 Dec. 2025
While Sotomayor and the other liberal justices were sharply skeptical of Sauer’s arguments, the conservative majority on the high court appeared more skeptical of arguments from Slaughter’s lawyer, Amit Agarwal.
—Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 8 Dec. 2025
The cool-kid leftist pod for listeners intrigued enough to wade through the Jeffrey Epstein conspiracy sandbox, but who didn’t want to wade through the actual crazies, has become an anchor for a thriving alt-media ecosystem that’s long been ready for a skeptical, leftward, socialist-curious turn.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2025
Even as some major insurers have made commitments to expand coverage, some consumer advocates warn the reforms will lead to steep rate hikes and are deeply skeptical that insurers will actually write more policies in fire-risk communities.
—Ethan Varian, Mercury News, 6 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for skeptical
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 10 Dec. 2025
While Sotomayor and the other liberal justices were sharply skeptical of Sauer’s arguments, the conservative majority on the high court appeared more skeptical of arguments from Slaughter’s lawyer, Amit Agarwal.
—Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 8 Dec. 2025
The cool-kid leftist pod for listeners intrigued enough to wade through the Jeffrey Epstein conspiracy sandbox, but who didn’t want to wade through the actual crazies, has become an anchor for a thriving alt-media ecosystem that’s long been ready for a skeptical, leftward, socialist-curious turn.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2025
Even as some major insurers have made commitments to expand coverage, some consumer advocates warn the reforms will lead to steep rate hikes and are deeply skeptical that insurers will actually write more policies in fire-risk communities.
—Ethan Varian, Mercury News, 6 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for skeptical
Cite this Entry
“Skeptical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skeptical. Accessed 17 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share