mistrust

1 of 2

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 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 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

But overcoming perceptions that lithium-ion battery technology is inherently dangerous has proven challenging, and developers sometimes fuel mistrust by dismissing residents’ concerns about fire, toxic threats and the industrialization of natural landscapes. —Bloomberg, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026

The comments come against a backdrop of what researchers describe as deepening disillusionment among younger investors and rising mistrust in wealth management institutions. —Anniek Bao, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026

Verb

Talarico seems to recognize that some Texans mistrust his novel messaging, and that his job now is to convince would-be Christian voters that his faith is an honest reading of scripture—which just so happens to point in a progressive direction. —Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026

And oftentimes, those who mistrust the system have tended to be people who support the Make America Healthy Again movement. —Torie Bosch, STAT, 18 Apr. 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