Definition

The condition of being suspicious or not trusting others.

Example

Her distrustfulness made it hard for her to form new friendships.

Conversation

I sometimes feel a sense of distrustfulness when meeting new people.

I get that; it’s hard to open up sometimes.

Yeah, especially when past experiences make you wary.

Exactly! Building trust takes time and effort.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Distrustfulness → It is formed from "dis-" (meaning apart or away) and "trust" (from Old French *troster*, meaning to rely on or have confidence in) and "-fulness" (meaning the state of being full of). The word "distrustfulness" means the state of being full of distrust or lacking confidence in someone or something.

Memory Tip

Think of being 'away from' trust ('dis-') and feeling 'full of' distrustfulness — that's why distrustfulness means having a lot of distrust.

Visually Confused Words