mistrust

1 of 2

noun

mis·​trust ˌmis-ˈtrəst 

: a lack of confidence : distrust

mistrustful

ˌmis-ˈtrəst-fəl 

adjective

mistrustfully

ˌmis-ˈtrəst-fə-lē 

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 wrong

—Robert Frost

intransitive verb

: to be suspicious

Synonyms

Noun

• distrust
• distrustfulness
• doubt
• dubiety
• dubitation [archaic]
• incertitude
• misdoubt
• misgiving
• mistrustfulness
• query
• reservation
• skepticism
• suspicion
• uncertainty

Verb

• distrust
• doubt
• misdoubt
• question
• suspect

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

History: The roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and mistrust are deep and complex, predating the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. —Adela Suliman, Washington Post, 20 June 2024

That Congress has not passed the policies that Biden now seeks is not an accident but the product of a reasonable mistrust in the Democratic Party’s willingness to address the crisis at its roots. —The Editors, National Review, 19 June 2024

Verb

Voters either recoiled from his rhetoric and style or mistrusted his politics. —Craig Gilbert, Journal Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2024

Today, those Russian elites who mistrust the West's intentions as well as Putin’s may regard the prospect of peace as worse than the continuation of the war. —Vladislav Zubok, Foreign Affairs, 21 Dec. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

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

Kids Definition

mistrust

1 of 2 noun

mis·​trust (ˈ)mis-ˈtrəst 

: distrust entry 2

mistrustful

-fəl 

adjective

mistrustfully

-fə-lē 

adverb

mistrustfulness noun

mistrust

2 of 2 verb

: distrust entry 1