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mistrust
[ mis-truhst ]
noun
- lack of trust or confidence; distrust.
verb (used with object)
- to regard with mistrust, suspicion, or doubt; distrust.
- to surmise.
verb (used without object)
- to be distrustful.
mistrust
/ ˌɪˈٰʌ /
verb
- to have doubts or suspicions about (someone or something)
noun
- distrust
Derived Forms
- ˌˈٰܲٴڳܱ, adverb
- ˌˈٰܲٴڳܱ, adjective
- ˌˈٰܲٴڳܱness, noun
- ˌˈٰܲٱ, noun
Other 51Թ Forms
- ·ٰܲİ noun
- ·ٰܲiԲ· adverb
- -·ٰܲ noun
- ܲm·ٰܲĻ adjective
- ܲm·ٰܲiԲ adjective
51Թ History and Origins
Example Sentences
But what makes that introduction to the world of “Holland” particularly irksome is not just that it’s mistrusting of its audience, but that it’s also mistrusting of the film itself.
Despite the growing mistrust, national polling might tell a different story.
Michelle Corson, a spokeswoman for the Kern County Public Health department, said in a statement that a “mistrust of healthcare providers and systems, along with the spread of vaccine misinformation” has contributed to vaccine hesitancy.
At which point, we’re told by friends, doctors, pundits and our political leaders that we’re clinically anxious, paranoid or even dangerous for the very logical skepticism and mistrust that result.
Theirs is a thorny relationship, born of many years of mutual mistrust.
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Related 51Թs
Mistrust Vs. Distrust
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.
Quiz yourself on mistrust vs. distrust!
True or False?
Mistrust is only ever a verb, while distrust is only ever a noun.
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