mistrust 1 of 2

mistrust

2 of 2

verb

as in to doubt
to have no trust or confidence in a recluse who mistrusts her neighbors and stays in her house all day

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun mistrust differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of mistrust are doubt, dubiety, skepticism, suspicion, and uncertainty. While all these words mean "lack of sureness about someone or something," mistrust implies a genuine doubt based upon suspicion.

had a great mistrust of doctors

When is it sensible to use doubt instead of mistrust?

While the synonyms doubt and mistrust are close in meaning, doubt suggests both uncertainty and inability to make a decision.

plagued by doubts as to what to do

In what contexts can dubiety take the place of mistrust?

The synonyms dubiety and mistrust are sometimes interchangeable, but dubiety stresses a wavering between conclusions.

felt some dubiety about its practicality

When is skepticism a more appropriate choice than mistrust?

The meanings of skepticism and mistrust largely overlap; however, skepticism implies unwillingness to believe without conclusive evidence.

an economic forecast greeted with skepticism

Where would suspicion be a reasonable alternative to mistrust?

While in some cases nearly identical to mistrust, suspicion stresses lack of faith in the truth, reality, fairness, or reliability of something or someone.

regarded the stranger with suspicion

When might uncertainty be a better fit than mistrust?

In some situations, the words uncertainty and mistrust are roughly equivalent. However, 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

Examples 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 mistrust
Noun
This culture breeds mistrust across the hierarchy and dismantles psychological safety. Nancy Doyle, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024 The crypto industry often struggled with opaque messaging and a lack of transparency, which fueled mistrust. Nina Turner, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
But people too often encounter a biased medical system that tends to mistrust their reports of extreme pain and accuse them of drug seeking. Lauren Gravitz, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024 The fact is, however, most of these extensions are actively mistrusted by 47% of web users, according to our statistics. Darpan Munjal, Forbes, 8 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mistrust 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mistrust
Noun
  • The company believes there is no longer substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern due to recent business improvements and actions taken by management.
    Quartz Bot, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024
  • But just in case there were any doubts, the Lakers’ 131-114 loss, which dropped them to 4-4 overall and 1-4 on their road trip, was a reminder.
    Khobi Price, Orange County Register, 6 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • Then again, in that same interview, Brown expressed skepticism about whether the British public would also welcome his American wife back into a royal role.
    Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
  • Although this is a worrying trend, growing Taiwanese skepticism of the United States has not translated into a greater desire to unify with Beijing. HARDENED STEEL China’s gray-zone campaign, intended to help achieve unification, is instead pushing Taiwan further away.
    David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • If you’re consumed by suspicion, possessiveness, and insecurity, try one of these strategies.
    Jenna Ryu, SELF, 1 Nov. 2024
  • Under Schmidt’s watch, the Department of State has also continued its year-round hotline to report voter intimidation and election fraud and a fact-checking Web page designed to combat disinformation and suspicion.
    Eliza Griswold, The New Yorker, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
  • Foreign powers seeking to influence the outcome — Russia, China and Iran — are circulating fake videos on social media aimed at sowing discord and distrust.
    April Rubin, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
  • The long-lasting falsehoods about the 2020 election, including former President Trump’s persistent claim President Biden stole the last election, has sparked fears that misinformation and disinformation could rapidly spread online and sow distrust in the official electoral process.
    Miranda Nazzaro, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • The company faces significant risks and uncertainties, including the need for additional capital and the outcome of its clinical trials, as detailed in the risk factors section of the report.
    Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
  • There’s a lot of uncertainty ahead for U.S. elections, said Kathy Boockvar, the former Democratic secretary of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
    Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near mistrust

Cite this Entry

“Mistrust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mistrust. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

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