unbelieving
Americanadjective
-
not believing; skeptical.
- Synonyms:
- incredulous, questioning
-
not accepting any, or some particular, religious belief.
adjective
-
not believing; sceptical
-
proceeding from or characterized by scepticism
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of unbelieving
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; see un- 1, believe ( def. ), -ing 2 ( def. )
Explanation
A person who's unbelieving denies or doubts the truth of something. Your religious grandmother might invite her unbelieving friend to come with her to church. Being unbelieving often has to do with a lack of religious beliefs. Another way to be unbelieving is to be incredulous, or astonished by something — so amazed that you can't believe what you're seeing or experiencing. The best part about performing magic tricks for little kids is the unbelieving expressions on their faces when they see a rabbit appear in a hat or a bouquet of flowers suddenly vanish.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Mitchell started to swing, checked it, then stood unbelieving as umpire Babe Pinelli, working behind the plate for the last time before retirement, called strike three.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 1, 2020
The unbelieving Hansen put the banana in Lietzke’s golf bag as a test, only to discover the rotten fruit still there in January.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 28, 2018
The unbelieving Hansen put the banana in Lietzke’s golf bag as a test, only to discover the rotten fruit still there in January.
From Washington Times • Jul. 28, 2018
I am unbelieving proud of my #thisisus fam!
From Time • Jul. 13, 2017
Hannah still reached toward the fly, unbelieving, and Gitl grabbed her hand, spinning her around.
From "The Devil's Arithmetic" by Jane Yolen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
