skeptical

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈskɛptɪkəl/ See IPA manual

Freq #15102

Meanings

1

adj
denying or questioning the tenets of especially a religion

I always took a skeptical approach to the nature of miracles.
2

adj
marked by or given to doubt

When reading a scientific study, one should always have a skeptical attitude.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · denying or questioning the... disbelieving

2 adj · marked by or given to doubt questioning

More dubious leery untrusting

Opposites

credulous gullible

Word family

Derived forms antiskepticaleuro-skepticaleuroskepticalnonskepticaloverskepticalpseudoskepticalskepticalityskepticallyskepticalnessskeptimistictechnoskepticalunskeptical

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

skeptical attitude
a way of thinking that questions whether claims are true

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Latin scepticus + -al; attested earlier than skeptic. By surface analysis, skeptic + -al.

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

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