Standard Lemma guide

mistrust

noun · verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /mɪsˈtɹʌst/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ʌst
  • CMU ARPABET: M IH0 S T R AH1 S T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Lack of trust or confidence; distrust, untrust.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To have no confidence in (something or someone).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To be wary, suspicious or doubtful of (something or someone).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To suspect, to imagine or suppose (something) to be the case.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To be suspicious.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

the trait of not trusting others

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: distrust, distrustfulness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: trait

Narrower terms: suspicion, suspiciousness

7

noun

Meaning 7

doubt about someone's honesty

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: misgiving, distrust, suspicion

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: doubt, uncertainty, incertitude, dubiety, doubtfulness, dubiousness

8

verb

Meaning 8

regard as untrustworthy; regard with suspicion; have no faith or confidence in

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: distrust, suspect

Antonyms: trust

Broader terms: disbelieve, discredit

Narrower terms: doubt

History

Etymology

From Middle English mistrust; equivalent to mis- + trust.

Across languages

Translations

54 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: недоверие (nedoverie) — lack of trust
  • Bulgarian: подозрение (podozrenie) — lack of trust
  • Catalan: desconfiança — lack of trust
  • Catalan: recel — lack of trust
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不信任 (bú xìnrèn) — lack of trust
  • Dutch: wantrouwen — lack of trust
  • Faroese: misálit — lack of trust
  • Faroese: mistrúgv — lack of trust
  • Finnish: epäluottamus — lack of trust
  • French: défiance — lack of trust
  • French: méfiance — lack of trust
  • Georgian: უნდობლობა (undobloba) — lack of trust
  • German: Misstrauen — lack of trust
  • Hindi: संदेह (sandeh) — lack of trust
  • Hindi: अविश्वास (aviśvās) — lack of trust
  • Italian: diffidenza — lack of trust
  • Italian: sfiducia — lack of trust
  • Japanese: 不信 (fushin) — lack of trust
  • Khmer: ការមិនទុកចិត្ត (kaa mɨn tuk cət) — lack of trust
  • Korean: 불신 (bulsin) — lack of trust
  • Latin: suspīciō — lack of trust
  • Latin: suspītiō — lack of trust
  • Pannonian Rusyn: нєдовириє (njedovirije) — lack of trust
  • Persian: گمان داشتن (gamân dâštan) — lack of trust
  • Persian: ظن داشتن (zann dâštan) — lack of trust
  • Polish: nieufność — lack of trust
  • Portuguese: desconfiança — lack of trust
  • Portuguese: receio — lack of trust
  • Romanian: neîncredere — lack of trust
  • Romanian: difidență — lack of trust
  • Russian: недове́рие (nedovérije) — lack of trust
  • Slovak: nedôvera — lack of trust
  • Spanish: desconfianza — lack of trust
  • Spanish: recelo — lack of trust
  • Swedish: misstro — lack of trust
  • Telugu: అవిశ్వాసము (aviśvāsamu) — lack of trust
  • Turkish: şüphe — lack of trust
  • Zulu: ukungathembani — lack of trust
  • Bulgarian: не се доверявам (ne se doverjavam) — to have no confidence in something
  • Catalan: desconfiar — to have no confidence in something
  • Greek: δυσπιστώ (dyspistó) — to have no confidence in something
  • Ancient Greek: ἀπιστέω (apistéō) — to have no confidence in something
  • Hindi: संशय करना (sañśay karnā) — to have no confidence in something
  • Italian: diffidare — to have no confidence in something
  • Latin: suspiciō — to have no confidence in something
  • Māori: whakateka — to have no confidence in something
  • Māori: whakahori — to have no confidence in something
  • Portuguese: desconfiar — to have no confidence in something
  • Portuguese: suspeitar — to have no confidence in something
  • Spanish: desconfiar — to have no confidence in something
  • Swedish: misstro — to have no confidence in something
  • Bulgarian: подозирам (podoziram) — to be wary, suspicious, or doubtful
  • Latin: suspiciō — to be wary, suspicious, or doubtful
  • Ottoman Turkish: شبههلنمك (şübhelenmek) — to be wary, suspicious, or doubtful
Real reading context

mistrust in complete knowledge articles