| Main Entry: | skeptic |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | person who is leery, unbelieving |
Synonyms: |
agnostic, apostate, atheist, cynic, disbeliever, dissenter, doubter, doubting Thomas, freethinker, heathen, heretic, infidel, materialist, misanthrope, misbeliever, nihilist, pagan, pessimist, profaner, questioner, rationalist, scoffer, unbeliever |
| Notes: | cynics doubt because they question motives (Cynic was first a school of philosophy expressing contempt for wealth and pleasure; the word cynic comes from Greek cyniko 'doglike'); skeptics doubt reports of what they hear or read |
Antonyms: |
believer, devotee, disciple |
| Main Entry: | agnostic |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | person unsure that God exists |
Synonyms: |
doubter, freethinker, materialist, skeptic, unbeliever |
| Notes: | an agnostic is one who believes that it is impossible to know whether there is a God; an atheist is one who disbelieves or denies the existence of God or gods |
Antonyms: |
believer |
| Main Entry: | atheist |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | nonbeliever |
Synonyms: |
agnostic, free thinker, heathen, infidel, irreligionist, pagan, skeptic |
| Main Entry: | cynic |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | nonbeliever |
Synonyms: |
carper, caviler, detractor, disbeliever, doubter, doubting Thomas, egoist, egotist, flouter, misanthrope, misanthropist, misogamist, misogynist, mocker, pessimist, questioner, satirist, scoffer, skeptic, sneerer, unbeliever |
Antonyms: |
believer, optimist |
| Main Entry: | doubter |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | person who does not believe |
Synonyms: |
agnostic, cynic, disbeliever, headshaker, questioner, skeptic, unbeliever, zetetic |
Antonyms: |
believer, truster |
| Main Entry: | heathen |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | not believing in Christian god |
Synonyms: |
agnostic, atheistic, barbarian, godless, idolatrous, infidel, irreligious, nonbeliever, pagan, profane, skeptic |
Antonyms: |
godly, religious |
| Main Entry: | hermit |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | person who chose to live alone |
Synonyms: |
anchorite, ascetic, eremite, misanthrope, outside of human society anchoret, pillarist, recluse, skeptic, solitaire, solitarian, solitary, stylite |
| Main Entry: | misanthrope |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | person who hates others |
Synonyms: |
cynic, doubter, egoist, egotist, hater, isolate, loner, misanthropist, recluse, skeptic |
Antonyms: |
humanitarian, philanthropist |
| Main Entry: | pagan |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | person who does not believe in an orthodox religion |
Synonyms: |
agnostic, atheist, doubter, freethinker, heathen, heretic, iconoclast, idolater, idolist, infidel, paganist, pantheist, polytheist, scoffer, skeptic, unbeliever |
Antonyms: |
Christian, Jew, believer |
| Main Entry: | dissenter |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | dissident |
Synonyms: |
heretic, nonconformist, objector, protester, rebel, separatist, skeptic |