Spanish word

desconfiar

Pronunciation

IPA/deskonˈfjaɾ/

Meaning

  • verbmistrust

Example

Desconfío de sus intenciones.

I mistrust his intentions.

Illustration for desconfiar (mistrust)

More examples

A menudo desconfío de alguien que cambia de opinión con facilidad.

I often mistrust someone who changes their mind easily.

Core concept

Person stepping back from another with a wary expression.

Common phrases

  • desconfiar de alguien

    mistrust someone

  • desconfiar de las apariencias

    mistrust appearances

  • desconfiar de una propuesta

    mistrust a proposal

Similar words

sospechar: Notices odd or inconsistent behavior and regards it as suspicious.
dudar: Cannot fully accept a fact or statement as true and hesitates to believe it.
recelar: Feels wary about someone's inner motives and keeps a guarded distance.

Definition in Spanish

No creer en la sinceridad o en las buenas intenciones de alguien o algo; mostrar recelo.

Word origin

From the negative prefix des- plus confiar (from Latin confidere 'to trust'), originally meaning 'not to trust' and now 'mistrust'.

Usage tips

  • The verb normally takes de (desconfiar de alguien o de algo); omitting de makes the phrase ungrammatical.

Other meanings

  • have reservations aboutverb
  • be suspicious ofverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word