mistrust

This term describes a state of suspicion or a lack of confidence. It often implies a cautious, guarded emotional stance based on a perceived risk of betrayal or failure. While it shares a similar meaning with distrust, mistrust is frequently used to describe a general feeling of unease or a lack of trust that may not be based on a specific act of betrayal, but rather a predisposition or a gut feeling.

As a noun, it functions as an uncountable mass noun. It describes an abstract state of mind rather than a discrete event, meaning it cannot be pluralized or counted with numbers. One refers to a sense of mistrust or a deep mistrust, rather than multiple mistrusts.