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
  • Many critics remain skeptical that this artist’s debut, or any artist’s debut, deserved to be in the Louvre.
    — Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Brett Siegel, an NBA reporter with Clutch Points, is skeptical.
    — Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of skeptical
Adjective
  • Given his long absence from public view, analysts are unsure whether Khamanei is indeed the architect of the new set-up.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Pundits are unsure whether Minnesota will yield a similar result.
    — Jay Stahl, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of unsure
Adjective
  • Maybe someone noticed a person acting suspicious, heard a fight, saw someone leaving the area or remembers a detail that seemed insignificant at the time.
    — Simcha Itzkowitz, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • CyberGuy's guide to protecting yourself from social media scammers includes more ways to evaluate suspicious accounts.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of suspicious
Adjective
  • Horse racing's Triple Crown faces an uncertain future as leading institutions pursue divergent strategies.
    — Nicole Kraft, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The economy feels so perpetually uncertain, fragile and contradictory that shifts in any direction feel really consequential.
    — Rachel Siegel, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of uncertain
Adjective
  • As the use of AI increases, financial experts say consumers should be cautious about fully trusting these tools.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The Fed may be more cautious about raising interest rates at a time when the labor market appears less stable.
    — Scott Horsley, NPR, 7 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
  • Kurz said that the field team put careful consideration into selecting each site.
    — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Steve Bardens/Getty Images Brighton & Hove Albion must be careful that the chill of winter does not arrive much earlier than normal for them this season in the Conference League.
    — Andy Naylor, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of careful

Browse Nearby Words

distrusted
distrustful
distrustfully
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Cite this Entry

“Distrustful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distrustful. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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