adj · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˈskɛptɪkəl/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:S K EH1 P T AH0 K AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:S K EH1 P T IH0 K AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Having, or expressing doubt; questioning.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US
Examples
My teacher was skeptical when I told her my dog ate my homework.
Tom was skeptical when Paul told him that he saw Bigfoot.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Of or relating to philosophical skepticism or the skeptics.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective satellite
Meaning 3
denying or questioning the tenets of especially a religion
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a skeptical approach to the nature of miracles
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: disbelieving, sceptical, unbelieving
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective satellite
Meaning 4
marked by or given to doubt
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a skeptical attitude
a skeptical listener
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: doubting, questioning, sceptical
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Latin scepticus + -al; attested earlier than skeptic. By surface analysis, skeptic + -al.
Across languages
Translations
58 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
թերահավատ
(tʻerahavat)
— having, or expressing doubt
Armenian:
կասկածամիտ
(kaskacamit)
— having, or expressing doubt
Armenian:
սկեպտիկ
(skeptik)
— having, or expressing doubt
Bulgarian:
скептичен
(skeptičen)
— having, or expressing doubt
Catalan:
escèptic
— having, or expressing doubt
Chinese Mandarin:
持有怀疑的
— having, or expressing doubt
Czech:
skeptický
— having, or expressing doubt
Danish:
skeptisk
— having, or expressing doubt
Dutch:
sceptisch
— having, or expressing doubt
Esperanto:
nekredema
— having, or expressing doubt
Finnish:
skeptinen
— having, or expressing doubt
French:
dubitatif
— having, or expressing doubt
French:
sceptique
— having, or expressing doubt
Galician:
escéptico
— having, or expressing doubt
German:
skeptisch
— having, or expressing doubt
Hungarian:
kételkedő
— having, or expressing doubt
Hungarian:
kétkedő
— having, or expressing doubt
Hungarian:
szkeptikus
— having, or expressing doubt
Icelandic:
vantrúaður
— having, or expressing doubt
Irish:
díchreidmheach
— having, or expressing doubt
Italian:
scettico
— having, or expressing doubt
Māori:
hokirua
— having, or expressing doubt
Norwegian Bokmål:
skeptisk
— having, or expressing doubt
Norwegian Nynorsk:
skeptisk
— having, or expressing doubt
Polish:
sceptyczny
— having, or expressing doubt
Portuguese:
cético
— having, or expressing doubt
Portuguese:
céptico
— having, or expressing doubt
Russian:
скепти́ческий
(skeptíčeskij)
— having, or expressing doubt
Scottish Gaelic:
teagmhach
— having, or expressing doubt
Spanish:
escéptico
— having, or expressing doubt
Swedish:
skeptisk
— having, or expressing doubt
Turkish:
kuşkucu
— having, or expressing doubt
Turkish:
septik
— having, or expressing doubt
Ottoman Turkish:
اینانمز
(inanmaz)
— having, or expressing doubt
Ukrainian:
скепти́чний
(skeptýčnyj)
— having, or expressing doubt
Arabic:
شُكُوكِيّ
(šukūkiyy)
— related to skepticism
Armenian:
սկեպտիկական
(skeptikakan)
— related to skepticism
Armenian:
կասկածապաշտական
(kaskacapaštakan)
— related to skepticism
Catalan:
escèptic
— related to skepticism
Chinese Mandarin:
怀疑论的
— related to skepticism
Czech:
skeptický
— related to skepticism
Danish:
skeptisk
— related to skepticism
Dutch:
sceptisch
— related to skepticism
Esperanto:
skeptika
— related to skepticism
Finnish:
skeptinen
— related to skepticism
French:
sceptique
— related to skepticism
Galician:
escéptico
— related to skepticism
German:
skeptisch
— related to skepticism
Hungarian:
szkeptikus
— related to skepticism
Norwegian Bokmål:
skeptisk
— related to skepticism
Norwegian Nynorsk:
skeptisk
— related to skepticism
Polish:
sceptyczny
— related to skepticism
Portuguese:
cético
— related to skepticism
Portuguese:
céptico
— related to skepticism
Russian:
скепти́ческий
(skeptíčeskij)
— related to skepticism
Spanish:
escéptico
— related to skepticism
Swedish:
skeptisk
— related to skepticism
Ukrainian:
скепти́чний
(skeptýčnyj)
— related to skepticism
