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

Other Word Forms

• distruster noun
• predistrust noun
• distrustfully adverb
• distrustfulness noun
• distrustful adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of distrust¹

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

Synonym Study

See suspicion.

Example Sentences

Much as she distrusted the admiral, his absence made her feel panicky.

Read more on Literature

Because of that distrust, the founders carefully apportioned responsibility over the “militia” — today’s National Guard — between the federal government and the states.

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But he said more and more people, including young people, were "slipping outside the zone of the BBC influence", as a result of growing "distrust" in its content and reliance on social media for information.

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He has also handed out an oversize commemorative coin to colleagues resembling the logo of the Marvel “Punisher” character, who came to embody a general distrust of the U.S. justice system.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

With my own eyes, I look upon these American men with distrust.

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Related Words

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

When To Use

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.