SKEPTICISM Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'skepticism' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of skepticism are doubt , dubiety , mistrust , suspicion , and uncertainty . While all these words mean "lack of sureness about someone or something," skepticism implies unwillingness to believe without conclusive evidence. // an economic forecast greeted with skepticism

Q: In what contexts can 'doubt' take the place of 'skepticism'?

In some situations, the words doubt and skepticism are roughly equivalent. However, doubt suggests both uncertainty and inability to make a decision. // plagued by doubts as to what to do

Q: When is it sensible to use 'dubiety' instead of 'skepticism'?

The meanings of dubiety and skepticism largely overlap; however, dubiety stresses a wavering between conclusions. // felt some dubiety about its practicality

Q: When might 'mistrust' be a better fit than 'skepticism'?

While the synonyms mistrust and skepticism are close in meaning, mistrust implies a genuine doubt based upon suspicion. // had a great mistrust of doctors

Q: When could 'suspicion' be used to replace 'skepticism'?

The words suspicion and skepticism can be used in similar contexts, but suspicion stresses lack of faith in the truth, reality, fairness, or reliability of something or someone. // regarded the stranger with suspicion

Q: Where would 'uncertainty' be a reasonable alternative to 'skepticism'?

While in some cases nearly identical to skepticism , uncertainty may range from a falling short of certainty to an almost complete lack of conviction or knowledge especially about an outcome or result. // assumed the role of manager without hesitation or uncertainty

skepticism

noun

ˈskep-tə-ˌsi-zəm

Definition of skepticism next

as in doubt

a feeling or attitude that one does not know the truth, truthfulness, or trustworthiness of someone or something our alibi was met with skepticism at first, but we gradually convinced them of the truth

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun skepticism differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of skepticism are doubt, dubiety, mistrust, suspicion, and uncertainty. While all these words mean "lack of sureness about someone or something," skepticism implies unwillingness to believe without conclusive evidence.

an economic forecast greeted with skepticism

In what contexts can doubt take the place of skepticism?

In some situations, the words doubt and skepticism are roughly equivalent. However, doubt suggests both uncertainty and inability to make a decision.

plagued by doubts as to what to do

When is it sensible to use dubiety instead of skepticism?

The meanings of dubiety and skepticism largely overlap; however, dubiety stresses a wavering between conclusions.

felt some dubiety about its practicality

When might mistrust be a better fit than skepticism?

While the synonyms mistrust and skepticism are close in meaning, mistrust implies a genuine doubt based upon suspicion.

had a great mistrust of doctors

When could suspicion be used to replace skepticism?

The words suspicion and skepticism can be used in similar contexts, but suspicion stresses lack of faith in the truth, reality, fairness, or reliability of something or someone.

regarded the stranger with suspicion

Where would uncertainty be a reasonable alternative to skepticism?

While in some cases nearly identical to skepticism, uncertainty may range from a falling short of certainty to an almost complete lack of conviction or knowledge especially about an outcome or result.

assumed the role of manager without hesitation or uncertainty

Examples of skepticism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Meanwhile, skepticism of immigration spiked nationally in recent years as the amount of migration at the southern border grew. —

Ian Millhiser, Vox, 9 Sep. 2024 On the betting markets alone, optimism and skepticism remain in a fierce tug of war. —

Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2024 The couple immediately shares electrifying chemistry, but the relationship quickly gets weighed down by past and present baggage, including a persistent ex, meddling from their siblings (Justine Lupe and Timothy Simons), and, most prominently, skepticism from Noah's parents and colleagues. —

Ew Staff, EW.com, 6 Sep. 2024 During the Men Tell All special, several of Jenn’s former suitors pointed out their skepticism of Devin, who had received backlash within the house for stealing Jenn for one-on-one time during group dates. —

Liza Esquibias, Peoplemag, 4 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for skepticism

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'skepticism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.