English UsageGrammar guide

Skeptical Of: Standard Pattern

Skeptical Of: Standard Pattern records the directly documented construction and keeps guidance bounded to the evidenced complement pattern rather than inventing a broader prohibition.

Quick answer

Use “skeptical of” when the complement names the claim, result, proposal, or thing being doubted.

Key details

Confusion Familyusage-construction
Rule Familyadjective complement
Termsskeptical of

Further guidance

Construction

Cambridge documents “skeptical about/of” for doubting that something is true or useful.

Style Boundary

Cambridge also documents skeptical about, so this page does not present of as the only standard complement.

Sources and evidence

Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.

  1. Skeptical — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Direct dictionary evidence for “skeptical about/of” and the US spelling skeptical.

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Absent From: Standard Pattern

Absent From: Standard Pattern records a directly documented English construction and keeps guidance bounded to the evidenced pattern rather than inventing a broader prohibition.

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Accountable For: Standard Pattern

Accountable For: Standard Pattern records the directly documented Cambridge construction and keeps guidance bounded to the evidenced complement pattern rather than inventing a broader prohibition.

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Acquainted With: Standard Pattern

Acquainted With: Standard Pattern records a directly documented English construction and keeps guidance bounded to the evidenced pattern rather than inventing a broader prohibition.

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Addicted To: Standard Pattern

Addicted To: Standard Pattern records a directly documented English construction and keeps guidance bounded to the evidenced pattern rather than inventing a broader prohibition.

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Adept At: Standard Pattern

Adept At: Standard Pattern records a directly documented English construction and keeps guidance bounded to the evidenced pattern rather than inventing a broader prohibition.

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Adjacent To: Standard Pattern

Adjacent To: Standard Pattern records the directly documented construction and keeps guidance bounded to the evidenced complement pattern rather than inventing a broader prohibition.

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