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Glite Dictionary
🤨 Doubting truth 🙏 Not religious
unbelieving

unbelieving

2 5.9
Doubting that a specific claim is true, often about religion
  • adjective
  • /ˌʌnbɪˈliːvɪŋ/
translation icon : incrédulo
  • Wayne and his TV audience were unbelieving.
  • unbelieving eyes
  • unbelieving, agonized look
  • unbelieving world

And you look at them almost unbelieving.

Examples

  • Casey moves away from the glass, back toward the living room, unbelieving, horrified.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • A dress so special... ...it could bring a wedding tear from even the most unbelieving of women.

    Sex and the City (2008)

  • Jim is unbelieving at first, then very moved.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • So even my parents, who were a bit unbelieving about the tones, had proof that tones are absolutely important.

    Blog text (13)

  • "But all those tests you did on me..." Javier said, still unbelieving.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • Then, they sat mesmerized and unbelieving.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Some seemed more in a daze, almost unbelieving it was true.

    Blog text (11)

  • "Her face," I whisper to myself, "her face," I stammer unbelieving.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • But now, I take the evidence of his imminent move like a body blow that leaves me breathless and unbelieving.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • I stood there, unbelieving, as the news unfolded before me.

Synonyms

skeptical
vsunbelieving
  • US
286 4.2

Not easily believing that something is true

is narrower, stressing doubt about religious truths specifically
godless
vsunbelieving
35 7.0

Not believing in God or following any religion

is more about personal doubt of religious claims than broad lack of faith
incredulous
vsunbelieving
20 6.8

Not able or willing to believe something

is more about general religious doubt than a surprised reaction to a claim
agnostic
vsunbelieving
20 7.7

Not having a definite belief about whether God exists

is more about doubting particular religious truths than about knowability
unconvinced
vsunbelieving
12 5.1

Not sure that something is true or will work

is more focused on doubting religious beliefs rather than general persuasion
irreligious
vsunbelieving
3 8.6

Not interested in religion or being against it

is focused on questioning religious truth rather than expressing opposition or indifference
disbelieving
vsunbelieving
1 4.7

Not accepting that something is true, often showing doubt

expresses doubt especially about religious beliefs rather than active refusal
nontheistic
vsunbelieving
1 7.9

Not believing in gods

is centered on doubting religious claims rather than on system absence
unreligious
vsunbelieving
1 6.0

Not believing in a god or taking part in worship

concerns personal religious practice rather than doubting religious truth
nonbelieving
vsunbelieving
5.4

Showing doubt about what someone says

leans more toward doubting religious truth specifically rather than general doubt
agnostical
vsunbelieving
9.9

Not sure people can know the true answers to religious or big life questions

focuses more narrowly on questioning specific religious beliefs rather than knowledge theory
atheistical
vsunbelieving
9.9

Not believing in God or gods

is about doubting religious truth rather than stating an ideological position

Antonyms

accepting
3.6

Willing to welcome new ideas, people, or situations without judging them

How Believing

convinced
466 2.8
open
702 1.0
doubtful
25 3.0
skeptical
  • US
286 4.2
unbelieving
2 5.9
incredulous
20 6.8

Surface Forms

unbelieving positive

Morphology

unbelieving = believing (transparent) = un + believe + ing

Productive negation by 'un-' on the present-participial/adjectival form 'believing', yielding 'not believing' or 'skeptical'.

Etymology

Unbelieving is made of the negative un- ('not') and believing from believe ('to accept as true'), just like in belief. So unbelieving describes someone who doubts or does not accept a particular idea or story, meaning they are not believing it.