trustless
Definition
- Adjective:
- Not worthy of trust: "trustless" describes a person, system, or thing that cannot be relied upon or believed; lacking trustworthiness.
- Lacking trust in others: In a secondary sense, "trustless" can refer to a person who is suspicious or does not have confidence in others, though this usage is less common.
Usage Examples
- (The witness was not considered reliable.)
- (A system lacking reliability causes uncertainty.)
- (His suspicious character was tiresome.)
Advanced Usage
"trustless environment": A context where trust is absent or unreliable.
- In a trustless environment, contracts are essential for cooperation. (An atmosphere where people cannot rely on each other.)
"trustless relationship": A relationship lacking mutual confidence.
- Their trustless relationship eventually ended in divorce. (They did not believe in each other's sincerity.)
Variants and Related Words
- Trustless (adj): the word itself; no common compounds exist.
- Trust (n/v): the opposite concept — confidence in someone or something.
- She placed her trust in him. (She believed he was reliable.)
- Trustworthy (adj): deserving of trust; reliable.
- He is a trustworthy friend. (He is dependable.)
- Trustworthiness (n): the quality of being reliable.
- Her trustworthiness is unquestioned. (Her reliability is clear.)
Synonyms
- Untrustworthy: not able to be trusted.
- Unreliable: not consistently good or dependable.
- Faithless: disloyal or without trust.
- Treacherous: dangerous and likely to betray.
Antonyms
- Trustworthy: deserving of trust.
- Reliable: consistently good in quality or performance.
- Faithful: loyal and steadfast.
Related Idioms
"A wolf in sheep's clothing": someone who appears harmless but is actually dangerous or untrustworthy.
- He seemed kind, but he was a wolf in sheep's clothing — utterly trustless. (He disguised his untrustworthy nature.)
"To give the benefit of the doubt": to trust someone despite uncertainty (opposite of being trustless).
- I gave him the benefit of the doubt, but now I see he is trustless. (I chose to trust him initially.)
Etymology Note
- "Trustless" is formed from "trust" (from Old Norse , meaning confidence) and the suffix "-less" (meaning without). It has been in English use since the 16th century.