Meanings
comparative more skeptical · superlative most skeptical · alternative UK sceptical
- USHaving, or expressing doubt; questioning.
Tom was skeptical when Paul told him that he saw Bigfoot.
3 more examples
My teacher was skeptical when I told her my dog ate my homework.
I can see why people are so skeptical [sic] about him, but I think he's on to something here.
2009 September 12, Xolani1990, quotee, “Brown Lotto trick 'confuses' fans”, in BBC News, London: BBC, archived from the original on 14 Sep 2009Numerous experimental tests and other observations have been offered in favor of animal mind reading, and although many scientists are skeptical, others assert that humans are not the only species capable of representing what others do and don’t perceive and know.
2012 March–April, Colin Allen, “Do I See What You See?”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, archived from the original on 26 Apr 2012, page 168 - USOf or relating to philosophical skepticism or the skeptics.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivedenying or questioning the tenets of especially a religion
adjectivemarked by or given to doubt
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*speḱ-
- Proto-Indo-European*spéḱyeti
- Proto-Hellenic*sképt͏̌omai
- Ancient Greekσκέπτομαι (sképtomai)
- Ancient Greekσκεπτικός (skeptikós)
- Latinscepticus
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
- Englishskeptical
From Latin scepticus + -al; attested earlier than skeptic. By surface analysis, skeptic + -al.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic شُكُوكِيّ
- شُكُوكِيّ (šukūkiyy)related to skepticism
Bulgarian скептичен
- скептичен (skeptičen)having, or expressing doubt
Catalan escèptic, escèptic
- escèptichaving, or expressing doubt
- escèpticrelated to skepticism
Chinese Mandarin 持有怀疑的, 怀疑论的
- 持有怀疑的having, or expressing doubt
- 怀疑论的related to skepticism
Czech skeptický, skeptický
- skeptickýhaving, or expressing doubt
- skeptickýrelated to skepticism
Danish skeptisk, skeptisk
- skeptiskhaving, or expressing doubt
- skeptiskrelated to skepticism
Dutch sceptisch, sceptisch
- sceptischhaving, or expressing doubt
- sceptischrelated to skepticism
Esperanto nekredema, skeptika
- nekredemahaving, or expressing doubt
- skeptikarelated to skepticism
Finnish skeptinen, skeptinen
- skeptinenhaving, or expressing doubt
- skeptinenrelated to skepticism
French dubitatif, sceptique
- dubitatifhaving, or expressing doubt
- sceptiquehaving, or expressing doubt
- sceptiquerelated to skepticism
German skeptisch, skeptisch
- skeptischhaving, or expressing doubt
- skeptischrelated to skepticism
Hungarian kételkedő, kétkedő
- kételkedőhaving, or expressing doubt
- kétkedőhaving, or expressing doubt
- szkeptikushaving, or expressing doubt
- szkeptikusrelated to skepticism
Icelandic vantrúaður
- vantrúaðurhaving, or expressing doubt
Irish díchreidmheach
- díchreidmheachhaving, or expressing doubt
Italian scettico
- scetticohaving, or expressing doubt
Māori hokirua
- hokiruahaving, or expressing doubt
Norwegian Bokmål skeptisk, skeptisk
- skeptiskhaving, or expressing doubt
- skeptiskrelated to skepticism
Polish sceptyczny, sceptyczny
- sceptycznyhaving, or expressing doubt
- sceptycznyrelated to skepticism
Portuguese cético, céptico
- céticohaving, or expressing doubt
- cépticohaving, or expressing doubt
- céticorelated to skepticism
- cépticorelated to skepticism
Russian скепти́ческий, скепти́ческий
- скепти́ческий (skeptíčeskij)having, or expressing doubt
- скепти́ческий (skeptíčeskij)related to skepticism
Scottish Gaelic teagmhach
- teagmhachhaving, or expressing doubt
Spanish escéptico, escéptico
- escépticohaving, or expressing doubt
- escépticorelated to skepticism
Swedish skeptisk, skeptisk
- skeptiskhaving, or expressing doubt
- skeptiskrelated to skepticism
Turkish kuşkucu, septik
- kuşkucuhaving, or expressing doubt
- septikhaving, or expressing doubt
Ukrainian скепти́чний, скепти́чний
- скепти́чний (skeptýčnyj)having, or expressing doubt
- скепти́чний (skeptýčnyj)related to skepticism
Cite this entry
skeptical. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/skeptical
“skeptical.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/skeptical. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “skeptical,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/skeptical.
Source: skeptical on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.