di Mistrust
To mistrust means to doubt or have suspicions about someone or something. Mistrust can also be used as a noun to mean a lack of confidence in someone or something.Ex: Gerard's mistrust of doctors kept him from seeking medical attention, so by the time he went to the hospital, his illness had become very serious.
Ex: Because many mistrust undercooked pork and chicken, it is far too common for home cooks to overcook those meats.
Distrust and mistrust have roughly the same meaning, but mistrust often refers to a general sense of unease toward someone or something, while distrust often implies that the feeling is based on experience or reliable information.
Ex: Keith and Leslie do not set very strict rules for their son. They think that having more freedom will make him a more independent person, and he hasn't ever given them any reason to distrust him.
Ex: Madeleine's distrust of lawyers stems from a bad experience she had when a lawyer tried to convince her to fake symptoms to get a bigger settlement after a car accident. However, I keep trying to convince her that she shouldn't judge all lawyers based on the behavior of one unethical one.
Incredulity
Incredulity means a state of being unwilling to believe something.Ex: As Ben told the townspeople that he had met aliens when he was abducted by a UFO, everyone at the town meeting looked at him with complete incredulity.
Ex: When Dennis told Penelope his excuse for why he had missed her birthday party, she listened to him with incredulity. He said he had to pick up some supplies for work, but she couldn't help thinking that he could have done that before her party.
Someone who is unwilling to accept that something is true can be described as incredulous.
Ex: The entire community was incredulous that the man who had shot the unarmed boy was not even put on trial.
Ex: Janet had so many problems conceiving that after five years she and her husband were about to give up their dream of having a baby. Then, she was incredulous when her doctor gave her the unexpected news that she was pregnant.
