mistrust

1 of 2

noun

mis·​trust ˌmis-ˈtrəst 

: a lack of confidence : distrust

mistrustful

ˌmis-ˈtrəst-fəl 

adjective

mistrustfully

ˌmis-ˈtrəst-fə-lē 

adverb

mistrustfulness noun

mistrust

2 of 2

verb

mistrusted; mistrusting; mistrusts

transitive verb

1

: to have no trust or confidence in : suspect

mistrusted his neighbors

2

: to doubt the truth, validity, or effectiveness of

mistrusted his own judgment

3

: surmise

your mind mistrusted there was something wrong

—Robert Frost

intransitive verb

: to be suspicious

Synonyms

Noun

• distrust
• distrustfulness
• doubt
• dubiety
• dubitation [archaic]
• incertitude
• misdoubt
• misgiving
• mistrustfulness
• query
• reservation
• skepticism
• suspicion
• uncertainty

Verb

• distrust
• doubt
• misdoubt
• question
• suspect

Choose the Right Synonym for mistrust

uncertainty, doubt, dubiety, skepticism, suspicion, mistrust mean lack of sureness about someone or something.

uncertainty may range from a falling short of certainty to an almost complete lack of conviction or knowledge especially about an outcome or result.

assumed the role of manager without hesitation or uncertainty

doubt suggests both uncertainty and inability to make a decision.

plagued by doubts as to what to do

dubiety stresses a wavering between conclusions.

felt some dubiety about its practicality

skepticism implies unwillingness to believe without conclusive evidence.

an economic forecast greeted with skepticism

suspicion stresses lack of faith in the truth, reality, fairness, or reliability of something or someone.

regarded the stranger with suspicion

mistrust implies a genuine doubt based upon suspicion.

had a great mistrust of doctors

Examples of mistrust in a Sentence

Noun

She has a strong mistrust of politicians.

had an unfortunate mistrust of doctors, so her medical condition was allowed to worsen

Verb

I was starting to mistrust my own judgment.

a recluse who mistrusts her neighbors and stays in her house all day

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

This has always been the case, but as the age of mistrust grows, these points will only become more critical. —Billee Howard, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025

Improvement in these key areas will improve issues around declining enrollment, stakeholder mistrust and retention of great teachers and staff. —Silas Allen, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2025

Verb

Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at Renmin University in Beijing, explained that, after weeks of posturing and contradictory messages, Chinese officials mistrust Trump. —Juliana Liu, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2025

As much as many Indians mistrust China’s intentions, for instance, many Indian political and business elites evince increasingly open admiration for the Chinese system and its undeniable material achievements. —Rana Mitter, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for mistrust

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

Kids Definition

mistrust

1 of 2 noun

mis·​trust (ˈ)mis-ˈtrəst 

: distrust entry 2

mistrustful

-fəl 

adjective

mistrustfully

-fə-lē 

adverb

mistrustfulness noun

mistrust

2 of 2 verb

: distrust entry 1