What does mistrusted mean?
Mistrusted is the past tense and past participle of mistrust, meaning to regard someone or something with suspicion or to doubt its reliability, honesty, or intentions. The word is often used when discussing relationships, information, institutions, or situations in which confidence has been damaged by experience. For example, a person may mistrusted a colleague after repeated disagreements or a government may mistrusted an anonymous source. Unlike distrust, which can also be used as a noun, mistrusted primarily describes an action or a past state of suspicion. It is more forceful and more suggestive of broken confidence than simply being uncertain, and it is widely used in British and American English.
verbTo regard someone or something with suspicion or lack of confidence. It is the past tense and past participle of mistrust.
- To regard with suspicion or lack of confidence
- To doubt the reliability, honesty, or intentions of someone or something
"She mistrusted the stranger who approached her."
"The committee mistrusted the account given by the witness."
"Years of poor service had made him mistrusted by the entire team."
Mistrusted carries the weight of suspicion: it suggests that trust has been withheld, often because of past experience or doubt.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does mistrusted come from?
Mistrusted derives from the verb mistrust, which combines the prefix mis- with trust, meaning to have doubt about someone or something. The prefix mis- has long been used in English to indicate error, badness, or opposition, as in mistake and mislead. The word shares its root with trust, distrust, and trustee, all of which concern confidence or the giving of something valuable to another person.
Related word forms
How mistrusted is actually used
Generally formal or neutral in register. It is commonly used in reported speech, historical writing, and descriptions of relationships in which confidence has broken down.
Easily confused with mistrusted
Mistrusted describes the act of doubting someone or something, whereas untrusted describes someone or something that is considered not worthy of trust.