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.
Use “skeptical of” when the complement names the claim, result, proposal, or thing being doubted.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| doubting a claim, proposal, result, or thing | skeptical of + noun/pronoun | Use the documented complement pattern. |
| doubting an idea expressed by an -ing form | skeptical of + -ing | Use the same preposition when the gerund is the complement. |
| a different relationship not involving doubt | choose wording that matches that relation | Do not use the pattern merely as a decorative preposition choice. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Does the complement name the claim, proposal, result, or thing being doubted?
If yes: Use “skeptical of.”
If no: Choose a construction that matches the actual relation.
Caveat: This page documents the “skeptical of” complement pattern, not every possible construction with “skeptical.”
Examples
The reviewers were skeptical of the claim.
The noun names what they doubt.
She is skeptical of changing the process now.
The gerund phrase names the proposed action being doubted.
Investors remained skeptical of the forecast.
The forecast is the object of doubt.
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.
- Skeptical — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Direct dictionary evidence for “skeptical about/of” and the US spelling skeptical.