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
Jp Mangalindan, Time, 5 Dec. 2025
Federal officials maintain that their operations are lawful and focused on individuals who pose public safety risks, but critics contend the scope of enforcement has broadened significantly, sweeping up people with no criminal histories and deepening distrust in immigrant communities.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Andrew R. Chow, Time, 18 Nov. 2025
Publishing a story based on a handful of unnamed sources is simply asking too much of a public that already distrusts the media.
—Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 9 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distrust
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Noun
The tension between them—born from weeks of distrust and pursuit—softens into something closer to understanding.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 5 Dec. 2025
Federal officials maintain that their operations are lawful and focused on individuals who pose public safety risks, but critics contend the scope of enforcement has broadened significantly, sweeping up people with no criminal histories and deepening distrust in immigrant communities.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Verb
And because many people distrust and dislike AI, there is still a reputational risk for brands putting out AI campaigns.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 18 Nov. 2025
Publishing a story based on a handful of unnamed sources is simply asking too much of a public that already distrusts the media.
—Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 9 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distrust
Cite this Entry
“Distrust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/distrust. Accessed 8 Dec. 2025.
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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