distrustful

adjective

(ˌ)dis-ˈtrəs(t)-fəl How to pronounce distrustful (audio)
Definition of distrustfulnext
1
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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 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 Current employes may also become distrustful and less loyal as a result. — Michelle Travis, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026 Manufacturers are pushing ahead with AI, but workers often feel unprepared, uncertain, and distrustful. — Rushda Afzal, Harvard Business Review, 22 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for distrustful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distrustful
  1. skeptical
  2. unsure
  3. suspicious
  4. uncertain
  5. cautious
  6. mistrustful
  7. careful
Adjective
  • Lots of teams will forfeit games because of an ineligible player (barring athletic directors being skeptical of every transfer).
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • He's been skeptical of the war, but he's came out recently and said that the war should end.
    — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of skeptical
Adjective
  • The titular gang comprises Mac (McElhenney), a closeted wannabe tough guy; the narcissistic prepster Dennis (Glenn Howerton); Dennis’s chronically unsure fraternal twin, Dee (Kaitlin Olson); and the bar’s buffoonish janitor, Charlie (Charlie Day).
    — Paula Mejía, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Still, stakeholders are unsure what effects a veto override will have.
    — Laura Horne, Charlotte Observer, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of unsure
Adjective
  • The person asked for gas money and Bitcoin, requests the family found suspicious because Goods doesn't drive and didn't have a car in Las Vegas.
    — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The suspicious em dash—and the easily disprovable notion that only AI used them—was offered as a telltale sign.
    — M. C. Mah, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of suspicious
Adjective
  • While the exact timing and intensity of the impacts are still uncertain and will ultimately depend on how close Lala tracks to the Hawaiian islands, heavy rain, strong winds and rough surf impacts are likely this weekend.
    — Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Why would a promising young researcher accept a faculty offer of $120,000 with uncertain employment prospects when a technology company or defense contractor offers $180,000 on the first day?
    — Francisco Ruiz, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of uncertain
Adjective
  • Officials were urging residents to be cautious as the hurricane approached.
    — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Despite expert consensus ranking him QB2 (31st overall), there's reason to be cautious.
    — Steve Bradshaw, Forbes.com, 15 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
  • Without careful planning to reduce the constellations’ brightness, the team found that, in the most extreme case, the satellites could outnumber visible stars by a factor of 100.
    — Arielle Frommer, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Maneuvering in tight spaces requires careful judgment of each individual case — and not just about which body part is least likely to cause offense when brought into close proximity to a fellow diner.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of careful

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distrustful
distrustfully
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Cite this Entry

“Distrustful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distrustful. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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