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

California, biomass energy advocates say, has struggled to get past its distrust of the technology, given traditional biomass’ checkered past of clear-cutting forests and polluting poorer communities.

From Los Angeles Times

Parents of Lecka's victims told of their feelings of heartbreak, guilt and distrust in victim impact statements at Kingston Crown Court.

From BBC

These are young people shaped by crisis - financial collapse, pandemic, climate anxiety - who distrust institutions.

From BBC

They also shared a distrust of authority and collaborated to curb law enforcement’s ability to seize individuals’ assets without a trial.

From Los Angeles Times

"Coupled with the fact there are outstanding issues around staff travel arrangements, an atmosphere of distrust has been created, where our members feel like no-one is listening to them."

From BBC

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.