distrust Hear it!

distrust Definition

dis·trust (dis trust′)

noun

a lack of trust, of faith, or of confidence; doubt; suspicion

transitive verb

to have no trust, faith, or confidence in; doubt; suspect

distrust Synonyms

distrust

v.

mistrust, suspect, disbelieve; see doubt 2.

distrust Usage Examples

Object

  • politician: He distrusted politicians: ' Never make a politician grant you a favor.

Converse of object

  • overcome: Is it possible to forgive and to overcome the mutual distrust?
  • grow: A growing distrust of globalization contributed to this too.
  • express: What does cause concern, however, is the mood of distrust expressed in this no-vote.
  • create: The facts are bound to come out sooner or later and create distrust among all employees of the house.
  • increase: It shows an increasing distrust of genetic engineering in food.

Adjective modifier

  • mutual: There is some mutual respect, there is some mutual distrust.
  • widespread: In part, widespread distrust of the media in Peru stems from the country's recent past.
  • profound: He wrote to a friend: " I must confess to the most profound distrust of Russia.
  • deep: There was deep distrust in the run-up to the 1994 elections.
  • public: The leak deepens public distrust of the entire process.
  • general: There is no crisis of confidence or general distrust in evidence.

Modifies a noun

  • politician: Posted by: Chuck Unsworth at March 27, 2006 12:53 PM I distrust politicians of all stripes.

Modifying Another Word

  • deeply: Few of the people that I meet in current affairs broadcasting seem to have any idea how deeply distrusted they are by the public.

Preposition: of

  • foreigner: The warm praise that we might give ourselves about the inclusive nature of Britishness can still be accompanied by a cold distrust of foreigners.
  • politician: Further, with his ingrained distrust of English politicians, he thought the balance of wrong was on the English side.
  • science: Science and ethics Fear and distrust of science is not new and what people think of as fact often changes over time.
  • institution: A false world is beginning to get the amount of support it deserves: distrust of public institutions is almost total.
  • government: For my distrust of governments was not limited to Germany.
  • medium: In part, widespread distrust of the media in Peru stems from the country's recent past.
distrust Quotes

I distrust a man that says when. If he's got to be careful not to drink too much it's because he's not to be trusted when he does.

—Hammett, (Samuel) Dashiell

'We stay together, but we distrust each other.' 'Ah, yes,†but isn't that a definition of marriage?'

—Bradbury, Malcolm Stanley

I am for encouraging the progress of science in all its branches; and notfor†awing thehumanmind bystories of raw-head and bloody bones to a distrust of its own vision and to repose implicitly on that of others.

—Jefferson,Thomas

We have to distrust each other. It's our only defence against betrayal.

—Williams,TennesseeThomas Lanier