mistrust

noun

1. (uncountable, usually)Lack of trust or confidence; distrust, untrust.

verb

1. (transitive)To have no confidence in (something or someone).

   “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.”

   “He mistrusted my youth, my common-sense, and my seamanship, and made a point of showing it in a hundred little ways.”

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

   “It is most strange to report what outragious acts […] haue beene committed […] by women especially, that will runne after their husbands into all places, all companies, as Iouianus Pontanus wife did by him, follow him whether soeuer hee goes, it matters not, or vpon what businesse, rauing […] , cursing, swearing, and mistrusting euery one she sees.”

   “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 […]”

   “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.”

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

   “[…] 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.”

   “As soon as it was dark enough to conceal our Flight, we assembl’d together, and took a considerable Quantity of Muslins and Callicoes, and hung them upon the Bushes, that the Spies, who we knew watch’d us, might not any ways mistrust our sudden Removal.”

   “Those who had known the circumstances of her discovery, had gradually come to look upon her as the child of those who treasured her as if she had been their own; and the playmates of her childhood days had never mistrusted there was a mystery hanging about her "romantic" name,—Sea-flower.”

   “"So I'm here to say I'm sorry." Another big gulp. Troop heaved himself slowly off the locker he was sitting on and held out an eleven-inch hand. "I mistrusted 'twould do you sights o' good; an' this shows I weren't mistook in my jedgments^([sic])."”

4. (intransitive)To be suspicious.

   “She wuz soft in her complexion, her lips, her cheeks, her hands, and as I mistrusted at that first minute, and found out afterwards, soft in her head too.”

   “And yes, she has long mistrusted That a cider apple tree In bearing there to-day is hers, Or at least may be.”