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Synonyms

trustworthy

American  
[truhst-wur-thee] / ˈtrʌstˌwɜr ði /

adjective

  1. deserving of trust or confidence; dependable; reliable.

    The treasurer was not entirely trustworthy.

    Synonyms:
    faithful, honorable, honest, true

trustworthy British  
/ ˈtrʌstˌwɜːðɪ /

adjective

  1. worthy of being trusted; honest, reliable, or dependable

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See reliable.

Other Word Forms

  • trustworthily adverb
  • trustworthiness noun
  • untrustworthily adverb
  • untrustworthy adjective

Etymology

Origin of trustworthy

First recorded in 1800–10; trust + worthy

Explanation

Trustworthy describes something you can believe in — it's completely reliable. Your favorite newspaper can be trustworthy — they always print the truth — and people can be trustworthy too. You only tell your secrets to a trustworthy friend. Breaking apart the word trustworthy gives you a clue to its meaning. It combines the common word trust, which describes something you can rely on, and the word worthy, which describes something that deserves respect. So something — or someone — that's trustworthy deserves your trust. In an election, you'll likely vote for the most trustworthy candidate because you believe she'll keep her promises. If you're trustworthy, that means you're reliable: you do what you say you're going to do.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing trustworthy

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Three siblings were given equal shares, but mom established a trust for one sibling who was not trustworthy.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

“We’re working with OpenClaw builder Peter Steinberger to make self-certified agents, or claws, more trustworthy, scalable, and accessible to the world,” she added.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

"Just as important," Nemenman says, "it may let us design new AI methods that are more accurate, efficient and trustworthy."

From Science Daily • Mar. 3, 2026

Dozens of nations including the United States and China called for "secure, trustworthy and robust" artificial intelligence, in a summit declaration on Saturday criticised for being too generic to protect the public.

From Barron's • Feb. 21, 2026

I let Pasqual and Louis, one of our most trustworthy employees, who was taking on more responsibility all the time, know that I’d be handling the Gorens’ yard myself that morning.

From "Lawn Boy Returns" by Gary Paulsen