trustworthy
Americanadjective
adjective
Synonym Usage
See reliable.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of trustworthy
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.
Vocabulary lists containing trustworthy
Positive Words to Describe a Person
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Common Core Grades 7–8, List 7
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"Ode to the Table" by Pablo Neruda
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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.
They also help animals identify trustworthy partners and reduce the risk of being exploited.
From Science Daily • Jun. 20, 2026
She told AFP she was calling for the establishment of a "trustworthy, transparent" election authority, adding that "it must be an agenda that involves Venezuelans who are in Venezuela and Venezuelans who are abroad."
From Barron's • Jun. 19, 2026
So, at the end of the day, this guy seems trustworthy enough to bear arms.
From Slate • Jun. 18, 2026
The success of “Father Brown” rests in the way Williams plays with the notion of the priest as a quiet, trustworthy confessor.
From Salon • Jun. 16, 2026
“He proved to be a trustworthy person,” Perry once said of the Cowboy.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
