DISTRUSTFUL Synonyms: 103 Similar and Opposite Words

distrustful

adjective

(ˌ)dis-ˈtrəs(t)-fəl

Definition of distrustful

as in skeptical

inclined to doubt or question claims she was distrustful of her boyfriend's claim of having saved the kitten from a raging fire

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in unsure

not feeling sure about the truth, wisdom, or trustworthiness of someone or something naturally distrustful of politicians who claim to have all the answers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of distrustful The monthslong investigation into Guthrie's abduction that has provided little answers and the arrests of the YouTubers have left the streamers and their followers distrustful of law enforcement and the press. — Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 9 July 2026 Rob-Will has the support of his adoring wildchild daughter, Oreana (Natalie Alyn Lind), but not of openly distrustful Rip, who gave the gun-toting Rob-Will that punch felt around the Dutton universe in their gas station first meeting. — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 19 June 2026 This complicated web of lies, betrayals, and cover-ups leads her to be distrustful. — Literary Hub, 16 June 2026 In such a distrustful environment, everything that should be pure or holy or human is crushed under the weight of a state only interested in its own self-perpetuation. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 28 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for distrustful

Recent Examples of Synonyms for distrustful

Adjective

The tie-up should help some skeptical investors grow more confident that Salesforce — thanks to troves of proprietary customer data housed within its applications — has a role to play in this new AI world.

— Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Price likened his attraction to the format to his early embrace of streaming entertainment back in the days when Hollywood remained skeptical of its staying power.

— Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of skeptical

Adjective

Victims’ families and experts are unsure the higher amounts will be enough to get tipsters to come forward, citing people's fears and distrust of the federal government.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
Victims’ families and experts are unsure the higher amounts will be enough to get tipsters to come forward, citing people’s fears and distrust of the federal government.

— Sarah Raza, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of unsure

Adjective

Luke Halls’ video and projections add another layer of visual unease, allowing screens and technology inside the home to become as suspicious as its shadowy corners.

— Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
As Joan Acocella wrote for this magazine, in 2008, a suspicious number of cures happen to include alcohol as a main ingredient.

— Shayla Love, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of suspicious

Adjective

Why people are uncertain about vaccines Vaccine hesitancy is much more complicated than outright opposition to vaccines, Steier said.

— Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026
Traditional business moats are eroding, exemplified by Chegg's collapse, as the market prices certainty into an inherently uncertain technology, causing unprecedented volatility and layoffs.

— Jemma Green, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of uncertain

Adjective

Another reason to be cautious about relying on AI is that crisis communications can pose critical legal risks for companies.

— Edward Segal, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Beijing is a source of crucial economic support for Iran but has walked a cautious diplomatic line amid the US-Iran war, keeping communications open with players on both sides.

— Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of cautious

Adjective

The Social Democrats, led by Kurt Schumacher, a prickly figure who had suffered horribly for resisting the Nazis, were mistrustful of the United States and hoped to reunify Germany as a neutral state at the center of Europe.

— Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Once a lawyerly panel, a takeover by a trio of conservatives deeply mistrustful of the state’s voting system has turned the board’s once mundane meetings into boisterous events packed with crowds of cheering and jeering activists.

— Tamar Hallerman, AJC.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of mistrustful

Adjective

Apply the serum directly to sparse areas of your brows, being careful to avoid letting the product touch other areas of your skin.

— Iman Balagam, Vogue, 27 Aug. 2026
According to the researchers, careful process design and optimization as well as architecture simplification could help in solving most of these issues, something that industrial production focuses on much more than academic researchers.

— Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of careful

Browse Nearby Words

distrusted

distrustful

distrustfully

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Distrustful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distrustful. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of distrustful

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

kith

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes