doubting Thomas

doubting Thomas

A skeptic. A reference to the Biblical story about the Apostle Thomas, who refused to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead until he saw him in person. Lisa's husband was a real doubting Thomas when she told him she'd won the lottery. He demanded to check the ticket himself.
See also: doubt, Thomas
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

doubting Thomas

someone who will not easily believe something without strong proof or evidence. (Can be said of a man or a woman. From the biblical account of the apostle Thomas, who would not believe that Jesus had risen from the dead until he actually touched the risen Christ.) Mary won't believe that I have a dog until she sees it. She's such a doubting Thomas.
See also: doubt, Thomas
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

doubting Thomas

One who is habitually doubtful. For example, He was a doubting Thomas about the coming merger, not believing it would ever happen. The term alludes to the disciple Thomas, who doubted Jesus's resurrection until he had first-hand evidence of it (John 20:24-29).
See also: doubt, Thomas
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

a doubting Thomas

a person who refuses to believe something without having incontrovertible proof; a sceptic.
In the Bible, the apostle Thomas said that he would not believe that Christ had risen from the dead until he had seen and touched his wounds (John 20:24–9).
See also: doubt, Thomas
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

a ˌdoubting ˈThomas

a person who will not believe something without proof: Now, for all you doubting Thomases who thought I couldn’t win an important race, here’s my medal to prove it!This expression comes from the Bible. Thomas refused to believe that Jesus had been brought back to life until he saw Jesus for himself and touched his wounds.
See also: doubt, Thomas
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

doubting Thomas

A person who habitually questions every issue. The term alludes to Jesus’s disciple Thomas, who refused to believe in the resurrection until he had solid evidence of it (recounted in the Book of John, 20:24– 25). The term has been applied to similarly doubtful individuals ever since, although the exact wording dates only from the late 1800s. W. C. Wyckoff used it: “Doubting Thomases, who will only believe what they see, must wait awhile” (Harper’s Magazine, June 1883).
See also: doubt, Thomas
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • a doubting Thomas
  • Thomas
  • a Job's comforter
  • comforter
  • Job's comforter
  • manna
  • manna from heaven
  • manna from heaven, like
  • Judas
  • Judas kiss
References in periodicals archive
Most argues that Jesus' imperative to Mary not to touch him has to be seen in conjunction with Jesus' invitation to Thomas to do the contrary (Doubting Thomas 41).
Doubt and the resurrection of Jesus
In John's Doubting Thomas story, Thomas is converted to John's point of view.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and ... Thomas? The editors interview Elaine Pagels
"I was pretty much of a doubting Thomas," Maxwell remembers, and he wanted to see what happens in the wild.
Who's Dying for Sex?
As a life-long shooter, police officer, teacher and all around squinty-eyed doubting Thomas, I worked my way through this CD trying hard to find fault.
CD-Rom Guide To Firearm's Safety
Why else would Christians wax critical of doubting Thomas? The other apostles are held up to us as exemplars of virtue because faith was enough for them.
Is science a religion?
Doubting Thomas. Some researchers believe that it doesn't take such a radical diet to start to unclog arteries.
Do or diet: treating disease with food
Because he did not believe in the Resurrection until Jesus appeared to him (John 20:24 - 29), he was called " doubting Thomas " in popular accounts.
Thomas, St
doubting thomas Irish sub Thomas Butler trudges off as the Danes celebrate their win in 2002
switz a knockout; republic of ireland Ireland gaffer McCarthy says 2002 loss which ended his first stint as boss will have no impact on Euro tests
Saying he was then just new on the job and did not want to be a 'Doubting Thomas,' former Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya admitted at a Senate inquiry on Monday that he approved a contractor for the job of maintaining Metro Rail Transit (MRT)-3 trains without knowing it was just newly incorporated and had a small capitalization.
Abaya admits not knowing MRT-3 maintenance firm was just newly incorporated
Obviously there will be the doubting Thomas out there who thinks I am writing a load of rubbish but I would go as far as saying it's a fact.
Influence of television on impressionable minds
The vicar of St Thomas'Church, Canon David Ward, who is also a school governor, told students and staff how St Thomas, the patron saint of architects was one of Christ's disciples and was often referred to as "doubting Thomas" because he questioned Christ's resurrection.
Hands on learning for Saint Thomas
In the early Dandy comic, along with Desperate Dan and Korky the Cat, there was a character called Doubting Thomas. He was a twerp and always ended up having to be proved wrong.
WORDS OF TRUST In our local [...]
But the Doubting Thomas's are proved wrong when the town is flooded and Evan saves the day.
What to WATCH
Children's writer Morris Gleitzman came from Australia to pick up The Raring 2 Read Award for his book, Doubting Thomas. He also presented certificates and prizes to winners of our short story competition.
INSPIRATION FOUND BETWEEN THE COVERS; Award-winning writers give encouragement to new readers
They'll never have the edge over their rivals until they actually beat them - and they have been talking about that for the last five years - so I am one of the Doubting Thomas when it comes to Cork and I'll reserve my judgment on them until later in the summer.
Orchard men value to upset the status quo