distrustful
adjective
dis·trust·ful
(ˌ)dis-ˈtrəs(t)-fəl 
: having or showing distrust
distrustfulness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of distrustful in a Sentence
she was distrustful of her boyfriend's claim of having saved the kitten from a raging fire
naturally distrustful of politicians who claim to have all the answers
Recent Examples on the Web
We’re already primed to be distrustful of politicians and public trust in official accounts and expert opinion has been continuously eroded.
—
Rafael Perez, Orange County Register, 12 Apr. 2024
One side says the vulnerability of voting machines and delay in election results is what makes the system distrustful.
—Amanda Luberto, The Arizona Republic, 27 Mar. 2024
Several members of his family have distanced themselves from his controversial views and continued expressing support for Biden in the 2024 election, as Kennedy targets voters who are distrustful of media, corporations and the government.
—Virginia Chamlee, Peoplemag, 26 Mar. 2024
Suggesting otherwise risks leaving the public generally and patient populations specifically distrustful of a medical revolution that’s always just over the horizon.
—WIRED, 4 Sep. 2023
Efforts to build trust within the community — which tended to be fearful and distrustful of the police department — eventually paid off, and achieving zero homicides in 2023 is a testament to that, Liu said.
—Ryan MacAsero, The Mercury News, 5 Jan. 2024
More contentious is an unproven theory cited by some experts that amid the social unrest that followed the murder of Mr. Floyd, officers in some places pulled back from enforcement and some citizens, distrustful of law enforcement, stopped working with police.
—Tim Arango, New York Times, 20 July 2023
South Koreans, distrustful of traditional media, have increasingly migrated to YouTube and other online sources for news.
—Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2023
Film after film, director Sean Durkin explores the dynamics of dysfunctional families, particularly ones with imposing, controlling or otherwise distrustful father figures.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2023
Rafael Perez, Orange County Register, 12 Apr. 2024
One side says the vulnerability of voting machines and delay in election results is what makes the system distrustful.
—Amanda Luberto, The Arizona Republic, 27 Mar. 2024
Several members of his family have distanced themselves from his controversial views and continued expressing support for Biden in the 2024 election, as Kennedy targets voters who are distrustful of media, corporations and the government.
—Virginia Chamlee, Peoplemag, 26 Mar. 2024
Suggesting otherwise risks leaving the public generally and patient populations specifically distrustful of a medical revolution that’s always just over the horizon.
—WIRED, 4 Sep. 2023
Efforts to build trust within the community — which tended to be fearful and distrustful of the police department — eventually paid off, and achieving zero homicides in 2023 is a testament to that, Liu said.
—Ryan MacAsero, The Mercury News, 5 Jan. 2024
More contentious is an unproven theory cited by some experts that amid the social unrest that followed the murder of Mr. Floyd, officers in some places pulled back from enforcement and some citizens, distrustful of law enforcement, stopped working with police.
—Tim Arango, New York Times, 20 July 2023
South Koreans, distrustful of traditional media, have increasingly migrated to YouTube and other online sources for news.
—Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2023
Film after film, director Sean Durkin explores the dynamics of dysfunctional families, particularly ones with imposing, controlling or otherwise distrustful father figures.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'distrustful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near distrustful
Cite this Entry
“Distrustful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/distrustful. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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