distrust/mistrust

Question

Hi,      "The old man has a healthy distrust/mistrust for all new technology."According to me it should be distrust as it is more positive than mistrust.  Am I right. Please help.

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

I see no real difference in the meanings, Simi.

Pchuang · Answer

They are synonymous. But I have noticed that people sometime understand the two differently. sometime "distrust" means "do/does not trust sb. or sth.", while mistrust means "putting your trust to the wrong one."

However, English dictionaries don't make any differences on the two words. I personally prefer they have some subtle differences.

Maybe they are in the process of changing meanings. I cannot tell.

Marius Hancu · Answer

They're synonymous only in the 1st sense here:
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dis·trust

Function: verb
transitive verb

1 : to have no trust or confidence in : MISTRUST<distrust the sword as a cure for all ills -- John Buchan> <he distrusted mathematics and the art of deductive logic that went with it -- S.F.Mason>

2 : to suspect of evil consequences or designs : feel wary or suspicious of<it would deprive him of the enormous personal satisfaction of distrusting what he doesn't know and despising what he has never seen -- E.B.White> <the Cistercians disliked and distrusted Abelard -- Henry Adams>

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Anonymous · Answer

Marius HancuThey're synonymous only in the 1st sense here:
-------
dis·trust

Function: verb
transitive verb

1 : to have no trust or confidence in : MISTRUST<distrust the sword as a cure for all ills -- John Buchan> <he distrusted mathematics and the art of deductive logic that went with it -- S.F.Mason>

2 : to suspect of evil consequences or designs : feel wary or suspicious of<it would deprive him of the enormous personal satisfaction of distrusting what he doesn't know and despising what he has never seen -- E.B.White> <the Cistercians disliked and distrusted Abelard -- Henry Adams>

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So, Sir wat wud be d ansr for "The old man has a healthy distrust/mistrust for all new technology"

Pchuang · Answer

the old man wisely does not trust all new technology.

Simi · Answer

Pchuangthe old man wisely does not trust all new technology.

I see you've modified the part which I was asking. But I need to know the answer of my question as it was part of an english exam. As people here are saying there are apparently no differences, indeed there ought to be some. So, anybody?

BarbaraPA · Answer

I'm sorry, but you have to add me to the group that says "no difference."

CalifJim · Answer

I would say "healthy distrust".
I don't think I've ever heard the expression "healthy mistrust".

CJ

Simi · Answer

CalifJimI would say "healthy distrust".
I don't think I've ever heard the expression "healthy mistrust".

CJ

Thanks CJ.

. That's exactly what I was thinking.

Anonymous · Answer

A quick Google search of "healthy distrust" and "healthy mistrust" shows that use of the former outweighs the latter by about 13 to 1. However, people do indeed use the expression, "healthy mistrust."

But are they right in so doing? To those who insist that the words are synonymous, what difference could it make, other than a poetic one? Ahhh, but they aren't really synonymous, are they? Again, it doesn't take too much inquiry to determine (it was even stated in some of the reprinted definitions above) that "distrust" adds the dimension of suspicion into the mix. This seems pretty significant to me.

So in fact, a healthy distrust would imply a certain wariness due to a belief that there may be deceit and/or duplicity at play. But a healthy mistrust would seem to indicate a simple expectation that things will not turn out as desired. Call me madcap, but if it occurs frequently, it would seem a bit of a reach to call this a healthy attitude.

Please forgive my anonymous post; I am not sure what the forum considers "soon" as regards receipt of my password. Regardless, my name is Keith, and you'll be able to find me as k9gardner on this and other forums. I live in New York City, and am quite fond of words and their intricacies.

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