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If you are sceptical, you do not quickly believe what people tell you. You wait. You ask for proof. You might say “I’m not sure that’s true” or “I’d like to see the numbers.” It is not rude by itself, and it is not the same as always thinking the worst of people — that darker habit is closer to being cynical.
If you are sceptical如果你是sceptical(懷疑的) you do not quickly believe what people tell you你不會很快就相信別人告訴你的話 You wait你會先等一等 You ask for proof你會要求證據 You might say "I'm not sure that's true"你可能會說"I'm not sure that's true"（我不確定這是真的） or "I'd like to see the numbers."或"I'd like to see the numbers."（我想看看數據） It is not rude by itself這本身並不算沒禮貌 and it is not the same as always thinking the worst of people也跟總是把人往壞處想不一樣 that darker habit is closer to being cynical那種比較陰暗的習慣更接近being cynical（憤世嫉俗）
Scientists are supposed to be a bit sceptical: they test claims instead of swallowing them.
Scientists are supposed to be a bit sceptical科學家應該要有點sceptical（懷疑） they test claims instead of swallowing them他們會去檢驗說法，而不是照單全收
In everyday talk it can be softer. “I’m sceptical about this new diet” just means you doubt it will work, not that you hate the speaker.
In everyday talk it can be softer在日常說話裡，語氣可以更軟一點 "I'm sceptical about this new diet""I'm sceptical about this new diet"（我對這個新飲食法有點懷疑） just means you doubt it will work只是說你懷疑它有沒有效 not that you hate the speaker不代表你討厭說這話的人
Though actually, the spelling splits: British English sceptical; American English skeptical with a k. In Taiwan you will meet both, because textbooks and the internet do not agree. The sound is the same.
Though actually不過其實 the spelling splits拼法分成兩種 British English writes sceptical英式英文寫sceptical American English writes skeptical with a k美式英文則用k寫成skeptical In Taiwan you will meet both在台灣兩種你都會遇到 because textbooks and the internet do not agree因為教科書和網路用的不一定一樣 The sound is the same發音是一樣的
組成sceptic（抱持懷疑的人）+ -al（形容詞字尾）。
同家族的字
- scepticthe person who doubts; sceptical is the adjective from this noun
- scepticismthe attitude or habit of doubting; same stem plus -ism
- scepticallythe adverb; how you do something when you doubt
原始詞典資料1 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
scepticaladj
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Commonwealth standard spelling of skeptical.
- But regardless of what they made of phrenology, those who saw craniometry as a means of measuring the relative weight of intelligence and emotion in psychological makeup were generally sceptical as to whether, as Blumenbach and Camper believed, humanity had branched from one ancestral pair into varietal types as a result of colonising different continents.
- And according to Hughes, HM Treasury is still sceptical about rail electrification. "It's not because they don't see electrification as a good thing, but I think when you look at it from the UK-wide perspective, if you have £x billion to spend on decarbonisation, you don't necessarily start with rail. Rail's not where you get the biggest bang for the buck in terms of decarbonisation."
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。