distrust

[ dis-truhst ]

verb (used with object)

1. to regard with doubt or suspicion; have no trust in.

noun

1. lack of trust; doubt; suspicion.

distrust

/ dɪsˈtrʌst /

verb

1. to regard as untrustworthy or dishonest

noun

1. suspicion; doubt

Derived Forms

• disˈtruster, noun
• disˈtrustfully, adverb
• disˈtrustfulness, noun
• disˈtrustful, adjective

Other Words From

• dis·truster noun
• predis·trust noun verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of distrust¹

First recorded in 1505–15; dis- ¹ + trust

Synonym Study

See suspicion.

Example Sentences

That has never been more important than it is right now, during one of the most uncertain periods in modern history, and a moment when distrust and misinformation are rampant.

From Time

The first was distrust in the Republican establishment itself.

From Washington Post

Vaccine distrust is often rooted in history for many communities of color.

From Vox

Nationalism is on the rise, as well as distrust of globalism and alliances.

From Time

An untrustworthy system has created many who are understandably vaccine hesitant, while online disinformation campaigns are fueled by conspiracies and distrust.

From Nautilus

Bridging the divide between the police and those who distrust them will take more than protests and symbolic gestures.

From The Daily Beast

Liberals distrust business and anyone with power—better to tell them exactly what to do.

From The Daily Beast

Conservatives distrust public officials and want to shackle them with detailed rules.

From The Daily Beast

Bound together by mutual distrust, both sides end up lashing themselves to the mast of rigid law.

From The Daily Beast

Can you chip away at the distrust of the police among black people?

From The Daily Beast

Such mutual distrust necessarily creates or accompanies a lack of moral courage.

From Project Gutenberg

Here was the strangeness of it: that he did not distrust Lettice, nor felt resentment against Tony.

From Project Gutenberg

Robinson looked at him suspiciously as he took it, and the animals eyed him with evident distrust.

From Project Gutenberg

On the following afternoon he found her, for instance, radiant with that exuberant happiness he had learned now to distrust.

From Project Gutenberg

However cleverly the pill was gilded, the Marshal knew that it was the Emperor's distrust which had lost him the command.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• disbelief
• doubt
• misgiving
• mistrust
• skepticism
• suspicion
• wariness

Distrust Vs. Mistrust

What’s the difference between distrust and mistrust?

As nouns, distrust and mistrust mean just about the same thing: doubt or suspicion—a lack of trust.

As verbs, they are also often used interchangeably to mean to regard someone with suspicion—to not trust them.

Some people think that there is a subtle difference in what each word implies. Distrust, they say, implies that there is a strong reason for the lack of trust—that it’s based on something that a person has already done. Mistrust, on the other hand, is said to be based on suspicion, as opposed to having a basis in someone’s past actions.

This may be what some people intend to imply when they use each word, but, still, most people use the two of them in just about the same way. Distrust is the more commonly used of the two. The adjective distrustful is also more common than mistrustful.

Here are some examples of distrust and mistrust used correctly in a sentence. In both cases, the other word could be swapped in without changing the meaning.

Example: I have a deep mistrust of landlords. 

Example: She has distrusted me ever since I lost her book—and I think her distrust of me has grown since then. 

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between distrust and mistrust.

Quiz yourself on distrust vs. mistrust!

True or False? 

Distrust is only ever a verb, while mistrust is only ever a noun.