distrusted; distrusting; distrusts
: to have no trust or confidence in
Examples of distrust in a Sentence
Noun
He has a distrust of doctors.
the psychic's bold claims were greeted with distrust and outright scorn
Verb
She's always distrusted their promises.
we instinctively distrust those phone calls that tell us we have won a free vacation or car
Recent Examples on the Web
Nabih Bulos
foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2025
Of course, this is all happening in the context of our medical establishment's racist history: For many years, the US carried out nonconsensual medical experiments on African Americans, which may also lead to lingering distrust today.
—Kayla Greaves, SELF, 3 July 2025
semafor.com, 8 July 2025
According to the Edelman Trust Barometer 2025 report, there was an unprecedented global decline in trust between employees and their employers over the past five years, with roughly 25% of Americans distrusting their bosses.
—Lindsay Phillips, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for distrust
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Noun
Negotiations with Iran are unlikely to be easy in a postwar atmosphere of distrust.
—Nabih Bulos
foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2025
Of course, this is all happening in the context of our medical establishment's racist history: For many years, the US carried out nonconsensual medical experiments on African Americans, which may also lead to lingering distrust today.
—Kayla Greaves, SELF, 3 July 2025
Verb
In response to fraying ties with Washington, Brasília has sought closer relations with Beijing, a move that could hurt Lula’s popularity further: 75% of Brazilians distrust China, a recent poll showed.
—semafor.com, 8 July 2025
According to the Edelman Trust Barometer 2025 report, there was an unprecedented global decline in trust between employees and their employers over the past five years, with roughly 25% of Americans distrusting their bosses.
—Lindsay Phillips, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for distrust
Cite this Entry
“Distrust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/distrust. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
distrust
1 of 2 verb
dis·trust
(ˈ)dis-ˈtrəst 
: to have no trust or confidence in
distrust
2 of 2 noun
: a lack of trust or confidence
distrustful
adjective
-fəl
distrustfully
adverb
-fə-lē
distrustfulness
noun
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