skeptical
Americanadjective
-
inclined to skepticism; having an attitude of doubt.
a skeptical young woman who will question whatever you say.
- Synonyms:
- skeptic
-
doubtful about a particular thing.
My teacher thinks I can get a scholarship, but I'm skeptical.
-
showing doubt.
a skeptical smile.
-
denying or questioning the tenets of a religion.
a skeptical approach to the nature of miracles.
- Synonyms:
- unbelieving
-
(initial capital letter) of or relating to Skeptics or Skepticism.
Synonym Usage
See doubtful.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of skeptical
Explanation
If a friend told you that her family was perfect and they never had any problems, would you believe her? If not, you may be skeptical. Skeptical people look at the world with a certain amount of doubt. This word comes from ancient Greece, where a philosopher named Pyrrho taught his followers that we can never really understand the true nature of things, only how they appear to us. (So basically, we should stop searching for the meaning of life and just relax.) In Pyrrho's view, the true sage was someone who realized that it was impossible to be certain about anything. His followers were called Skeptikoi, or Skeptics; the Greek word skeptikos means “given to asking questions.”
Vocabulary lists containing skeptical
Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 1
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ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 1
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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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.
Around half of job seekers say they are skeptical of most outreach they now receive, according to a Monster survey.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 5, 2026
When approached by the BBC, the company said in a crowded and competitive job market, "many young people feel they can't afford to be skeptical... because they feel opportunities are so scarce".
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
"I will say that the Iranian state media has not been a very good scribe about what's happened in the conflict thus far. So I'm extremely skeptical of this."
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
So when she found an apartment of this size, at this price, she was skeptical.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
“Really?” said Minya, with a skeptical lift of her eyebrows, and Sarai wondered, all of a sudden, why she was asking.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
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.
