skeptical
adjective
skep·ti·cal
ˈskep-ti-kəl 
: relating to, characteristic of, or marked by skepticism
a skeptical listener
Synonyms
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
But a few months later, people in the poker community grew skeptical about Mercer’s condition, according to Doug Parscal Jr., who donated to Mercer.
—
Kara Nelson, CNN, 23 Sep. 2023
Gates, however, was skeptical of other recent tactics used to mitigate climate change.
—Bypaolo Confino, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2023
Some Fox shareholders have also been skeptical of a deal with News Corp, arguing that News Corp’s newspaper businesses, including The Wall Street Journal, are not complementary with Fox Corporation’s entertainment assets, including the Fox broadcast network and the FS1 sports cable network.
—Benjamin Mullin, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2023
Online, developers expressed relief at seeing the Runtime Fee removed, but many remain skeptical, if not downright angry.
—WIRED, 22 Sep. 2023
While many credit the powerful Sikh diaspora with keeping the Khalistan issue alive, some are skeptical about the movement’s future.
—Aakash Hassan, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Sep. 2023
Earlier this year, some of Ukraine’s allies, including Washington, were skeptical of Kyiv’s insistence on pouring so many resources into trying to maintain its positions in the city.
—Ben Brasch, Washington Post, 17 Sep. 2023
At the same time, some remain skeptical of what the DOJ will be able to do to resolve the situation in actuality even if the presiding judge, Amit Mehta, finds Google illegally maintains a monopoly.
—Inyoung Choi, NBC News, 15 Sep. 2023
However, some were skeptical of his goals to become an astronaut.
—Nicole Froio, refinery29.com, 14 Sep. 2023
See More
Kara Nelson, CNN, 23 Sep. 2023
Gates, however, was skeptical of other recent tactics used to mitigate climate change.
—Bypaolo Confino, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2023
Some Fox shareholders have also been skeptical of a deal with News Corp, arguing that News Corp’s newspaper businesses, including The Wall Street Journal, are not complementary with Fox Corporation’s entertainment assets, including the Fox broadcast network and the FS1 sports cable network.
—Benjamin Mullin, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2023
Online, developers expressed relief at seeing the Runtime Fee removed, but many remain skeptical, if not downright angry.
—WIRED, 22 Sep. 2023
While many credit the powerful Sikh diaspora with keeping the Khalistan issue alive, some are skeptical about the movement’s future.
—Aakash Hassan, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Sep. 2023
Earlier this year, some of Ukraine’s allies, including Washington, were skeptical of Kyiv’s insistence on pouring so many resources into trying to maintain its positions in the city.
—Ben Brasch, Washington Post, 17 Sep. 2023
At the same time, some remain skeptical of what the DOJ will be able to do to resolve the situation in actuality even if the presiding judge, Amit Mehta, finds Google illegally maintains a monopoly.
—Inyoung Choi, NBC News, 15 Sep. 2023
However, some were skeptical of his goals to become an astronaut.
—Nicole Froio, refinery29.com, 14 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'skeptical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1639, in the meaning defined above
Articles Related to skeptical
Dictionary Entries Near skeptical
Cite this Entry
“Skeptical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skeptical. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on skeptical
Nglish: Translation of skeptical for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of skeptical for Arabic Speakers
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