distrusted; distrusting; distrusts
: to have no trust or confidence in
Synonyms
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
Deborah Lovich, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023
On that broader note, the 2022 paper argued that acute public anxieties during the pandemic became intertwined with a legacy of distrust in medical and government institutions.
—Keith Kloor, Scientific American, 22 Nov. 2023
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi capped two days in Washington on Friday with an hour-long visit with President Biden at the White House, part of an ongoing effort to thaw relations between the two superpowers after a year of anger and distrust from both sides.
—Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2023
The explosive reactions illustrate how President Biden’s climate policies are running into a wall of distrust in some oil and gas states.
—Lisa Friedman, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2023
In that light, the book is also a kind of shadow history of Americans’ distrust in government through much of the 20th century.
—Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023
Some Ukrainians fear that the entire country is now fated to become like the Donbas, where accused collaborators and patriots still distrust and despise one another, nearly 10 years after the conflict there.
—James Verini Paolo Pellegrin, New York Times, 1 Nov. 2023
That can create suspicion, distrust, and even paranoia.
—Anni Hallila, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2023
Even worse, this latest war – the most devastating since 1948 between Israelis and Palestinians – will likely only harden the hate and distrust.
—Neri Zilber, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Oct. 2023
Amy Brittain, Washington Post, 14 Nov. 2023
Initially, although Likud distrusted the deal with the PLO, Netanyahu promised to fulfill Israel’s commitments.
—TIME, 17 Oct. 2023
In general, the founders often distrusted the masses and sought to create structural protections against them.
—Dan Balz and Clara Ence Morse, Anchorage Daily News, 21 Aug. 2023
Unlike McCarthy, Scalise has yet to make or break promises to the holdouts in his party—earning favor with members of the far right, who long distrusted the former speaker.
—Edith Olmsted, The New Republic, 13 Oct. 2023
But a few families had refused the city’s relocation offers, distrusting officials.
—Laura Blasey, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2023
Unlike McCarthy, Scalise has yet to make or break promises to the holdouts in his party—earning favor with members of the far Right, who long distrusted the former Speaker.
—Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling, The New Republic, 12 Oct. 2023
By this point Wang was distrusted by many people close to Ray, sources say.
—Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 9 Oct. 2023
The Army Corps has sought to reassure Maui residents — many of whom distrust federal forces, especially those affiliated with the U.S. military — that its work will not be heavy-handed or destructive.
—Reis Thebault, Washington Post, 25 Sep. 2023
See More
Noun
Doing so will help you and your talent move from distrust to fearless Gen AI enthusiasts.
—Deborah Lovich, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023
On that broader note, the 2022 paper argued that acute public anxieties during the pandemic became intertwined with a legacy of distrust in medical and government institutions.
—Keith Kloor, Scientific American, 22 Nov. 2023
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi capped two days in Washington on Friday with an hour-long visit with President Biden at the White House, part of an ongoing effort to thaw relations between the two superpowers after a year of anger and distrust from both sides.
—Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2023
The explosive reactions illustrate how President Biden’s climate policies are running into a wall of distrust in some oil and gas states.
—Lisa Friedman, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2023
In that light, the book is also a kind of shadow history of Americans’ distrust in government through much of the 20th century.
—Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023
Some Ukrainians fear that the entire country is now fated to become like the Donbas, where accused collaborators and patriots still distrust and despise one another, nearly 10 years after the conflict there.
—James Verini Paolo Pellegrin, New York Times, 1 Nov. 2023
That can create suspicion, distrust, and even paranoia.
—Anni Hallila, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2023
Even worse, this latest war – the most devastating since 1948 between Israelis and Palestinians – will likely only harden the hate and distrust.
—Neri Zilber, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Oct. 2023
Verb
The couple sought to give birth at home because, Timmerman said, his then-wife distrusted the medical system.
—Amy Brittain, Washington Post, 14 Nov. 2023
Initially, although Likud distrusted the deal with the PLO, Netanyahu promised to fulfill Israel’s commitments.
—TIME, 17 Oct. 2023
In general, the founders often distrusted the masses and sought to create structural protections against them.
—Dan Balz and Clara Ence Morse, Anchorage Daily News, 21 Aug. 2023
Unlike McCarthy, Scalise has yet to make or break promises to the holdouts in his party—earning favor with members of the far right, who long distrusted the former speaker.
—Edith Olmsted, The New Republic, 13 Oct. 2023
But a few families had refused the city’s relocation offers, distrusting officials.
—Laura Blasey, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2023
Unlike McCarthy, Scalise has yet to make or break promises to the holdouts in his party—earning favor with members of the far Right, who long distrusted the former Speaker.
—Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling, The New Republic, 12 Oct. 2023
By this point Wang was distrusted by many people close to Ray, sources say.
—Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 9 Oct. 2023
The Army Corps has sought to reassure Maui residents — many of whom distrust federal forces, especially those affiliated with the U.S. military — that its work will not be heavy-handed or destructive.
—Reis Thebault, Washington Post, 25 Sep. 2023
See More
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
Phrases Containing distrust
Dictionary Entries Near distrust
Cite this Entry
“Distrust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/distrust. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
distrust
1 of 2 verb
dis·trust
(ˈ)dis-ˈtrəst 
: to have no trust or confidence in
distrust
2 of 2 noun
: a lack of trust or confidence
distrustful
adjective
-fəl
distrustfully
adverb
-fə-lē
distrustfulness
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on distrust
Nglish: Translation of distrust for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of distrust for Arabic Speakers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share