Mistrust Meaning
/mɪsˈtɹʌst/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounLack of trust or confidence; distrust, untrust.
verbTo have no confidence in (something or someone).
Sentence Examples
It is more ignominious to mistrust our friends than to be deceived by them.
This has bred more fear and mistrust.
The old woman looked at me with surliness and mistrust.
CEFR Practice Quiz
After the betrayal, she could not help but ____ his every word.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
There was a lot of ____ between the two competing companies, making it very difficult for them to agree on any joint business venture.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English mistrust; equivalent to mis- + trust.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The Britans marching out againſt them, and miſtruſting thir own power, ſend to Germanus and his Collegue, repoſing more in the ſpiritual ſtrength of thoſe two men, than in thir own thouſands arm’d."
— 1670, John Milton, “The Third Book”, in The History of Britain, that Part Especially now Call’d England. […], London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for James Allestry, […] , →OCLC, page 104:
"He mistrusted my youth, my common-sense, and my seamanship, and made a point of showing it in a hundred little ways."
— 1898 September, Joseph Conrad, “Youth: a Narrative”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXIV, number DCCCCXCV, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publication Co., page 311, column 1:
"The innocent beauty of her face was not as innocent to me as it had been; I mistrusted the natural grace and charm of her manner […]"
— 1849 May – 1850 November, Charles Dickens, “I Look about Me, and Make a Discovery”, in The Personal History of David Copperfield, London: Bradbury & Evans, […], published 1850, →OCLC, page 199:
"It was the Earls Court installation on the Piccadilly tube, opened on October 4, 1911, which really began the successful career of the escalator in this country. At first the public mistrusted it, and a wooden-legged man called "Bumper" Harris was engaged to travel up and down all day to give passengers confidence. Today there are 181 escalators at 57 London Transport stations."
— 1957 July 26, Charles E. Lee, “The Changing Face of Transport”, in Railway Magazine, page 451:
"[…] I propheſie, that many a thouſand,
Which now miſtruſt no parcell of my feare,
And many an old mans ſighe, and many a Widdowes,
And many an Orphans water-ſtanding-eye,
Men for their Sonnes, Wiues for their Husbands,
Orphans, for their Parents timeles death,
Shall rue the houre that euer thou was’t borne."
— c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene vi], page 171, column 2:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
After the betrayal, she could not help but ____ his every word.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
There was a lot of ____ between the two competing companies, making it very difficult for them to agree on any joint business venture.