mistrust

1 of 3

noun

mis·​trust ˌmis-ˈtrəst 

: a lack of confidence : distrust

a mistrust in politicians

mistrustful

ˌmis-ˈtrəst-fəl 

adjective

mistrustfully

ˌmis-ˈtrəst-fə-lē 

adverb

mistrustfulness noun

mistrust

2 of 3

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

mistrustful

3 of 3

adjective

mis·​trust·​ful -fəl 

1

: given to mistrust : suspicious

so mistrustful of everybody that they never know what to believe

—Upton Sinclair

2

: full of mistrust : marked by mistrust

the mistrustful atmosphere of dubious peace

—J. W. Aldridge

mistrustfully adverb

mistrustfulness noun

Synonyms of mistrust

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

Some students voluntarily document every draft — a sign of deepening mistrust between instructors and their classes. —Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026

Then there was a 60% vote to use paper ballots instead of electronic voting, which seemed to reflect some mistrust in the FIS administration. —ABC News, 11 June 2026

Verb

The narrator’s job is to teach us to mistrust the narrator, and thus to teach us how to read, and by teaching us how to read, teach us how to think. —David Frum, The Atlantic, 27 May 2026

The theory holds that when a government or leader becomes deeply unpopular or mistrusted, any action—good or bad—will be viewed with intense hostility and suspicion by their counterpart. —Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2026

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