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

• doubt
• skepticism
• suspicion
• distrust
• uncertainty

Verb

• doubt

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

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials have cited a lack of adequate funding, racial bias, language barriers and mistrust of the medical system among the reasons that gay and bisexual Latino men account for a disproportionate percentage of new HIV cases. —Tyrone Beason follow, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2025

This is a recipe for what international relations scholars call a perilous security dilemma, in which each country’s effort to increase its own security threatens the security of other countries, putting in motion a cycle of mistrust and potential conflict. —William Hurst, Foreign Affairs, 3 July 2025

Verb

Additionally, the general public came to mistrust and reject nuclear energy projects, further disillusioned by the Three Mile Island disaster. —Time, 15 July 2025

Once mistrusting foes, China and the European Union are exploring swapping the EU’s tariffs in favor minimum retail prices on Chinese cars as the knock-on effects of the US trade war continue. —Michael Taylor, Forbes.com, 11 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