skeptical

adjective

ˈskep-ti-kəl How to pronounce skeptical (audio)
Definition of skepticalnext
1
as in suspicious
inclined to doubt or question claims it's good to be skeptical about what you see on TV

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unsure
not feeling sure about the truth, wisdom, or trustworthiness of someone or something I'm a little skeptical of this low bid, since it's way below what the other contractors said that they would charge

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of skeptical Investment analysts were initially skeptical about YouTube’s first massive sports buy. — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 1 Sep. 2026 But energy experts say there are many reasons to be skeptical. — Julia Simon, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026 The event’s organizers were also skeptical that El-Sayed had changed many minds. — Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026 Fans and media were also skeptical that a fantasy football guru, rather than a traditional insider, would have the correct information about one of the biggest transactions in NFL history. — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for skeptical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skeptical
  1. suspicious
  2. unsure
  3. cautious
  4. doubtful
  5. incredulous
  6. uncertain
  7. careful
  8. wary
Adjective
  • Glendale police received multiple calls about a suspicious male adult, with officers first responding to a retail store in the 1500 block of Glenoaks Boulevard.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • By the time something appears suspicious, causality is fragmented across systems, logs and identities.
    — Brian Contos, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of suspicious
Adjective
  • Margarita, who studied jewelry design, is unsure whether Princess Margaret would have been a fan of her jewelry preferences.
    — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 1 Sep. 2026
  • For the first ten minutes, the audience seems a little unsure where any of this is going — something Lyons is self-aware enough to address.
    — Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of unsure
Adjective
  • Florida’s Republican gubernatorial ticket is defying historic trends for a political party traditionally known for elevating white men to leadership positions — even as the GOP remains cautious about drawing attention to the shift.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Bindi, a young female wallaby, is inquisitive and extremely curious, while Wally, a young male wallaby, is more cautious and likes to look at things from afar, Borozenets said.
    — Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of cautious
Adjective
  • Even if temperatures were to sharply drop, the recovery of most corals is doubtful.
    — Peter Prengaman, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026
  • For much of last year, Head Start, the federal program that provides child-care and preschool services for low-income families, appeared to have a doubtful future.
    — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of doubtful
Adjective
  • When a boater posted footage of the new island on social media, incredulous officials thought the video was AI-generated, according to the New York Times.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Besides, there are tree branches to bundle, coupons to clip, guacamole to toss out, incredulous news reports to run through Snopes and at least 20 spam texts to block.
    — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of incredulous
Adjective
  • What remains uncertain is how damaging the resolution will be—and for whom.
    — MICHAEL PETTIS, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
  • When markets are uncertain about how central bankers will respond to incoming data, speculation can fill the void, according to a Barclays report last month.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of uncertain
Adjective
  • Getting to that point required careful control of stress during fabrication.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Huntsinger, playing along with Variety’s should-win/will-win Emmy prediction game, drew a careful line.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of careful
Adjective
  • The decision suggests the companies believe that foreign investors remain wary of putting new money into the kingdom’s stock exchange, and will likely put off other firms planning IPOs in the short term.
    — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Koreans are wary of methods to turn housing wealth into cash.
    — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of wary

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skeptic
skeptical
skeptically
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Cite this Entry

“Skeptical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skeptical. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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