sceptical
Americanadjective
adjective
-
not convinced that something is true; doubtful
-
tending to mistrust people, ideas, etc, in general
-
of or relating to sceptics; sceptic
Other Word Forms
- antisceptical adjective
- hypersceptical adjective
- hypersceptically adverb
- hyperscepticalness noun
- oversceptical adjective
- oversceptically adverb
- overscepticalness noun
- sceptically adverb
- unsceptical adjective
- unsceptically adverb
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.
Despite the colossal spending in the United States, for example, opinion polls regularly show that Americans remain highly sceptical about the technology's benefits, and more worried that it spells doom for millions of jobs.
From Barron's • Apr. 25, 2026
Since then, the industry has drawn a massive wave of financial investment which has left many investors and observers sceptical.
From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026
Residents in Ukraine's southern city of Zaporizhzhia were sceptical about Russia's intentions.
From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026
In Tehran, a 30-year-old resident told AFP he was sceptical negotiations would be successful, describing most of what Trump says as "pure noise and nonsense."
From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026
And he goes on to report a test where the unguent was applied by a sceptical clergyman, so that there could be no suspicion of either cheating or demonic involvement.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
