distrust

1 of 2

noun

dis·​trust (ˌ)dis-ˈtrəst 

: the lack or absence of trust

distrust

2 of 2

verb

distrusted; distrusting; distrusts

transitive verb

: to have no trust or confidence in

Synonyms of distrust

Noun

• doubt
• skepticism
• suspicion
• uncertainty
• mistrust

Verb

• doubt

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

But at a time when distrust in the news media continues to rise, deflections like this can damage the credibility of mainstream, nonpartisan American journalism. — Max Tani, semafor.com, 12 Oct. 2026

Meta has been aggressively countering this consumer distrust with a cute and fuzzy personal AI agent called Muse, which can, among other tasks, shop and check out. — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026

Verb

Both sides showed a mirror-image majority who distrusted the other. — Dahlia Scheindlin, Time, 7 Oct. 2026

Other experts say there is reason to distrust information coming out of Russia. — Louisa Moller, CBS News, 5 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1532, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1548, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing distrust

• self-distrust

Rhymes for distrust

• adjust
• combust
• discussed
• disgust
• entrust
• intrust
• mistrust
• nonplussed
• robust
• sawdust
• stardust
• unjust

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

-fəl

adjective

distrustfully

-fə-lē

adverb

distrustfulness noun