distrustful

adjective

(ˌ)dis-ˈtrəs(t)-fəl How to pronounce distrustful (audio)
Definition of distrustfulnext
1
as in skeptical
inclined to doubt or question claims she was distrustful of her boyfriend's claim of having saved the kitten from a raging fire

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unsure
not feeling sure about the truth, wisdom, or trustworthiness of someone or something naturally distrustful of politicians who claim to have all the answers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of distrustful The monthslong investigation into Guthrie's abduction that has provided little answers and the arrests of the YouTubers have left the streamers and their followers distrustful of law enforcement and the press. — Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 9 July 2026 Rob-Will has the support of his adoring wildchild daughter, Oreana (Natalie Alyn Lind), but not of openly distrustful Rip, who gave the gun-toting Rob-Will that punch felt around the Dutton universe in their gas station first meeting. — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 19 June 2026 This complicated web of lies, betrayals, and cover-ups leads her to be distrustful. — Literary Hub, 16 June 2026 In such a distrustful environment, everything that should be pure or holy or human is crushed under the weight of a state only interested in its own self-perpetuation. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 28 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for distrustful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distrustful
  1. skeptical
  2. unsure
  3. suspicious
  4. uncertain
  5. cautious
  6. mistrustful
  7. careful
Adjective
  • The tie-up should help some skeptical investors grow more confident that Salesforce — thanks to troves of proprietary customer data housed within its applications — has a role to play in this new AI world.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Price likened his attraction to the format to his early embrace of streaming entertainment back in the days when Hollywood remained skeptical of its staying power.
    — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of skeptical
Adjective
  • Victims’ families and experts are unsure the higher amounts will be enough to get tipsters to come forward, citing people's fears and distrust of the federal government.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Victims’ families and experts are unsure the higher amounts will be enough to get tipsters to come forward, citing people’s fears and distrust of the federal government.
    — Sarah Raza, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of unsure
Adjective
  • Luke Halls’ video and projections add another layer of visual unease, allowing screens and technology inside the home to become as suspicious as its shadowy corners.
    — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
  • As Joan Acocella wrote for this magazine, in 2008, a suspicious number of cures happen to include alcohol as a main ingredient.
    — Shayla Love, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of suspicious
Adjective
  • What remains uncertain is how damaging the resolution will be—and for whom.
    — MICHAEL PETTIS, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
  • When markets are uncertain about how central bankers will respond to incoming data, speculation can fill the void, according to a Barclays report last month.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of uncertain
Adjective
  • Florida’s Republican gubernatorial ticket is defying historic trends for a political party traditionally known for elevating white men to leadership positions — even as the GOP remains cautious about drawing attention to the shift.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Bindi, a young female wallaby, is inquisitive and extremely curious, while Wally, a young male wallaby, is more cautious and likes to look at things from afar, Borozenets said.
    — Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of cautious
Adjective
  • The Social Democrats, led by Kurt Schumacher, a prickly figure who had suffered horribly for resisting the Nazis, were mistrustful of the United States and hoped to reunify Germany as a neutral state at the center of Europe.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Once a lawyerly panel, a takeover by a trio of conservatives deeply mistrustful of the state’s voting system has turned the board’s once mundane meetings into boisterous events packed with crowds of cheering and jeering activists.
    — Tamar Hallerman, AJC.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of mistrustful
Adjective
  • Apply the serum directly to sparse areas of your brows, being careful to avoid letting the product touch other areas of your skin.
    — Iman Balagam, Vogue, 27 Aug. 2026
  • According to the researchers, careful process design and optimization as well as architecture simplification could help in solving most of these issues, something that industrial production focuses on much more than academic researchers.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of careful

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Cite this Entry

“Distrustful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distrustful. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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