distrustful

[dis-truhst-fuhl]

adjective

1. unable or unwilling to trust; doubtful; suspicious.

   An alert scientist is distrustful of coincidences.

Other Word Forms

• distrustfully adverb
• distrustfulness noun
• predistrustful adjective
• undistrustful adjective
• undistrustfully adverb
• undistrustfulness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of distrustful¹

First recorded in 1585–95; distrust + -ful

Example Sentences

The demand for ethically produced eggs continues to grow as consumers become more distrustful of conventional egg supplies, especially following the spread of avian flu in recent years.

Read more on Barron's

Several students said their affiliation drew hate speech from strangers and distrustful questions from family members and employers.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

People get very distrustful of things that look just silly and manipulative.

Read more on Salon

More broadly, voters remain profoundly distrustful of elite institutions, and progressives have dominated most of those institutions for decades.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"It’s extremely important from a health communications perspective to treat well-founded fears from a place of respect and empathy; that’s the only way marginalized communities — that are rightfully distrustful of the authorities — can be reached."

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• cautious 
• doubtful 
• dubious 
• fearful 
• jealous 
• leery 
• mistrustful 
• skeptical 
• suspicious 
• uneasy 
• wary