disbelieving 1 of 2

adjective

as in skeptical
inclined to doubt or question claims the senator stated her case before a disbelieving press corps

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

disbelieving

2 of 2

verb

present participle of disbelieve
as in denying
to think not to be true or real many disbelieved the medium's claims that she could communicate with the spirits of the dead

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of disbelieving
Adjective
Muchová went up 3-1 early with a crouching forehand volley that just plopped inside the court, prompting applause from Gauff and a disbelieving shake of the head from Muchová. — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 9 July 2026
Verb
There are shirts being whirled all around me as disbelieving fans soak in the celebrations with their squad. — Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 15 July 2026 That same disbelieving fullness. — Vin Diesel, Variety, 16 May 2026 When Mom reached Dad on the telephone in the White House pantry to commiserate over the earth-shattering news, Dad’s response was disbelieving. — John Wrory Ficklin, Time, 11 Feb. 2026 The higher-ups are disbelieving, but Alex points out that the network has a fancy new AI that can replicate her voice in a zillion languages. — Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 24 Sep. 2025 Pearl, Dale’s adult daughter, vacillates between disbelieving that her father committed suicide and blaming her mother for it. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disbelieving
  1. skeptical
  2. denying
  3. suspicious
  4. doubting
  5. unbelieving
  6. incredulous
  7. cautious
Adjective
  • Al Khafaji’s nay-sayers weren’t wrong to be skeptical about the construction space.
    — Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 15 July 2026
  • Despite their differing opinions on Oppenheimer, everyone in the studio was jazzed to see what Nolan had made (though Hannah was a little skeptical of Matt Damon as Odysseus).
    — Alex Jhamb Burns, Vogue, 14 July 2026
Definition of skeptical
Verb
  • But in its response to the federal lawsuit, the company defended itself in court records, denying some of the allegations.
    — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
  • The move follows months of public discussion, including an online survey — open through July 15, a community meeting and feedback from the Zoning Commission, which recommended denying the current draft proposal to allow additional review.
    — Ken Molestina, CBS News, 14 July 2026
Definition of denying
Adjective
  • Review your bank and credit card statements for suspicious activity.
    — Brian Sloan,Dan Avery, CNBC, 15 July 2026
  • Some doubt whether the model can survive here, let alone be exported to countries that are larger, less homogeneous and more suspicious of taxation.
    — Nicholas D. Kristof, Mercury News, 14 July 2026
Definition of suspicious
Verb
  • And without doubting the ongoing popularity of Toy Story and its sequels, the group most likely to look with special fondness upon Sheriff Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the like are those who saw the first movie 31 years ago — once again, the parents.
    — Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 27 June 2026
  • All of those Republicans are seriously doubting the president here, Senator Graham.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 21 June 2026
Definition of doubting
Adjective
  • One day, the elusive Seth meets the equally alluring but totally living doctor Maggie (Meg Ryan), who is suspicious and unbelieving of the mystical wonders of this world.
    — Nathan Smith, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2024
  • As punishment, God confines them to the desert for 40 years, until the unbelieving generation ...
    — Madeleine Kearns, National Review, 10 Sep. 2023
Definition of unbelieving
Adjective
  • When provided with the county’s explanation, Johnson was incredulous.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026
  • On several occasions throughout the game, Lakers players were incredulous after calls – or non-calls – from the crew.
    — Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 8 May 2026
Definition of incredulous
Adjective
  • Teams are generally more cautious about cooling the legs, however, because cold applied directly to working muscles immediately before a match can temporarily blunt explosive actions such as sprinting.
    — Alan McCall, New York Times, 11 July 2026
  • Legal experts said the slow pace reflects a cautious approach by Graf and the large volume of evidence.
    — Hannah Schoenbaum, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2026
Definition of cautious

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disbelieves
disbelieving
disbenefit
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Cite this Entry

“Disbelieving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disbelieving. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of disbelieving for Spanish Speakers

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