mistrust

1 of 2

noun

mis·​trust ˌmis-ˈtrəst How to pronounce mistrust (audio)
: a lack of confidence : distrust
mistrustful adjective
mistrustfully 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 wrongRobert Frost

intransitive verb

: to be suspicious
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
The documentary investigates the effect of mistrust, anxiety, and self-doubt that led to Tegan’s hacker—an anonymous stalker known as Fegan (Fake Tegan)—and the terrorization of Tegan and Saran’s fans for the past 15-plus years. Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 18 Oct. 2024 This can lead to mistrust, speculation and anxiety among team members. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
Verb
This level of transparency is compelling for investors, especially in an age where opaque financial systems have led to mistrust. Jason Dehni, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024 Another part of a winning equation for Tester, other than support from ticket-splitting Trump voters, will be courting Native Americans in the state, who comprise 7% of the state’s population but are mistrusting of the ballot booth. Ross O'Keefe, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 11 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mistrust 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mistrust.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mistrust was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near mistrust

Cite this Entry

“Mistrust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mistrust. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

mistrust

1 of 2 noun
mis·​trust (ˈ)mis-ˈtrəst How to pronounce mistrust (audio)
mistrustful adjective
mistrustfully adverb
mistrustfulness noun

mistrust

2 of 2 verb

More from Merriam-Webster on mistrust

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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