distrust

1 of 2

noun

dis·​trust (ˌ)dis-ˈtrəst How to pronounce distrust (audio)
: the lack or absence of trust

distrust

2 of 2

verb

distrusted; distrusting; distrusts

transitive verb

: to have no trust or confidence in

Examples of distrust in a Sentence

Noun He has a distrust of doctors. the psychic's bold claims were greeted with distrust and outright scorn Verb She's always distrusted their promises. we instinctively distrust those phone calls that tell us we have won a free vacation or car
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The document, which is months old but recently was leaked to news outlets, only added to the long-standing tensions between LAHSA, which receives city funding, and some on the council who have voiced distrust in the agency and its handling of data. David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024 But amid widespread distrust of the government, the report is unlikely to calm a growing obsession with aliens. Julian E. Barnes, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 Still, contamination from past uranium mining in the Southwest, particularly in the Navajo Nation, has resulted in a legacy of distrust among the locals, provoking them to take action. Trilce Estrada Olvera, The Arizona Republic, 5 Mar. 2024 Pressure from the Catholic Church and constituents from Black communities with historic distrust of the medical system have swayed some legislators to oppose the bill. Katie Shepherd, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024 By disseminating misleading information about job opportunities or company culture, malicious actors can damage the organization's reputation and sow distrust among potential applicants. Siddharth Sharma, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 In an era of misinformation, distrust, and disregard for evidence, the work of scientists is more critical than ever. Philip Distefano, The Denver Post, 16 Feb. 2024 Discrimination in healthcare can result in misdiagnoses, like often being diagnosed with schizophrenia as opposed to mood disorders, and distrust in providers, further contributing to hesitancy to pursue help. Jazmin Towe, Parents, 23 Feb. 2024 It is known to foster distrust among colleagues, damage morale and can create a hostile work environment. Mark Travers, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024
Verb
Lynch’s is arguably more faithful to the word, despite ignoring the author’s central theme of distrusting charismatic leaders. Max Evry, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2024 Employees reported that the turbulence left the toll of feeling stressed, anxious, burned out and distrusting of their employers. Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2024 In his sometimes raw testimony, Harry said the stream of negative stories about him and members of his family had led him to distrust even his closest friends. Mark Landler, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2024 If the first-order worry is that people will get duped, the second-order worry is that the fear of deepfakes will lead people to distrust everything. Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2024 My comment of distrusting TJ was way before the bridge. Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 7 Dec. 2023 In the United States, many of the narratives spread by Russia, for instance, are eagerly adopted by domestic groups that distrust the government. David Klepper and Huizhong Wu, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Feb. 2024 This suggests that cries of fake polling can be self-fulfilling, insofar as those who distrust pollsters are less likely to participate in polls. Dan Rockmore, The New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2024 Millions of people have been trained to distrust credible news organizations and only put their faith in the dishonest voices feeding them a diet of radical rhetoric. Oliver Darcy, CNN, 1 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'distrust.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1513, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1548, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of distrust was in 1513

Dictionary Entries Near distrust

Cite this Entry

“Distrust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/distrust. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

distrust

1 of 2 verb
dis·​trust (ˈ)dis-ˈtrəst How to pronounce distrust (audio)
: to have no trust or confidence in

distrust

2 of 2 noun
: a lack of trust or confidence
distrustful
-fəl
adjective
distrustfully
-fə-lē
adverb
distrustfulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on distrust

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