distrusted; distrusting; distrusts
: 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
Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 25 Mar. 2026
After years of sanctions, confrontation and mutual distrust, the relationship is being recalibrated around energy security, investment and political stabilization.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2026
Oni Blackstock, STAT, 23 Mar. 2026
At least on this occasion, the award system that Chandler distrusted produced a different result.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for distrust
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Noun
Bonta said his office has sent letters to Bianco's agency over the last two months, echoing Weber's sentiment that his staff was not qualified to conduct a recount and that investigation sows distrust in elections.
—Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 25 Mar. 2026
After years of sanctions, confrontation and mutual distrust, the relationship is being recalibrated around energy security, investment and political stabilization.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
Research shows that patients who distrust their health care providers are more likely to delay care, including preventive screenings, and discontinue their medications, and that those patterns are associated with higher rates of hospitalization and premature death.
—Oni Blackstock, STAT, 23 Mar. 2026
At least on this occasion, the award system that Chandler distrusted produced a different result.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for distrust
Cite this Entry
“Distrust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/distrust. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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