mistrust

[mis-truhst]

noun

1. lack of trust or confidence; distrust.

verb (used with object)

1. to regard with mistrust, suspicion, or doubt; distrust.

2. to surmise.

verb (used without object)

1. to be distrustful.

mistrust

/ ˌmɪsˈtrʌst /

verb

1. to have doubts or suspicions about (someone or something)

noun

1. distrust

Other Word Forms

• mistruster noun
• mistrustingly adverb
• self-mistrust noun
• unmistrusted adjective
• unmistrusting adjective
• mistrustfully adverb
• mistrustful adjective
• mistrustfulness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of mistrust¹

1350–1400; Middle English mistrusten (v.), mistrust (noun). See mis- ¹, trust

Example Sentences

Both instances are deeply traumatizing and lead to mistrust of the police.

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Moore’s statements represented a dramatic shift from his comments last week, when he said the media reports had generated an ‘understandable mistrust’ of the Fire Department.

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It “also emphasized how underreporting is common because of mistrust, cultural stigma and language barriers.”

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City Council’s public safety committee — two days before the full council approved his appointment as chief — that the reports had generated an “understandable mistrust” of the fire department.

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Nepal's political landscape remains volatile, with widespread mistrust of long-dominant parties complicating efforts to ensure credible polls.

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Related Words

• apprehension 
• distrust 
• doubt 
• fear 
• foreboding 
• misgiving 
• skepticism 
• suspicion 
• uncertainty 
• wariness 

When To Use

What’s the difference between mistrust and distrust?

As nouns, mistrust and distrust 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 mistrust and distrust 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 mistrust and distrust.