Meaning & use
skeptical about
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Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
doubting that something is true, useful, or likely to happen
Grammar: Used after the adjective 'skeptical'; it introduces the thing you doubt, e.g. 'skeptical about the plan'.
Patterns
- skeptical about something
- skeptical about doing something
Many doctors are skeptical about the new treatment.
I'm skeptical about his promise to change.
She remained skeptical about the idea of working from home.
Common combinations
- skeptical about the claim
- Scientists are skeptical about the claim that the drug works.
- skeptical about the idea
- He was skeptical about the idea from the start.
- skeptical about the results
- The team was skeptical about the results of the first test.
- highly skeptical about
- Voters are highly skeptical about promises made before an election.
Synonyms and how they differ
- doubtful about
- Similar, but 'doubtful about' can also suggest you think something is unlikely, not just that you question it.
- suspicious of
- Stronger and more personal; it often suggests you think someone is hiding something.
Opposites
Word family
- skeptic noun
- A person who doubts that something is true.
- skepticism noun
- An attitude of doubting.
- skeptically adverb
- In a doubting way, e.g. 'She looked at him skeptically.'
Commonly confused: skeptical about or sceptical about? skeptical about or cynical about?
skeptical about vs sceptical about
The British spelling; the meaning and preposition are the same.
skeptical about vs cynical about
Much stronger and negative: it suggests you believe people act only for selfish reasons.
Practice
She was ______ the plan because it seemed too expensive.
Choose one answer.
The fixed phrase is 'skeptical about' something. 'Skeptical of' is possible for people, but for plans and ideas 'about' is the usual choice.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “skeptical about”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.