untrustworthiness
untrustworthiness — noun
1. the fact that someone or something cannot be relied on to be honest, faithful, o
the fact that someone or something cannot be relied on to be honest, faithful, or dependable in what they say or do
Brandon's untrustworthiness cost him a promising job at the downtown hospital.
often used with possessive determiner
Voters quickly recognised the candidate's untrustworthiness during the televised debate.
uncountable noun in formal evaluation contexts
The company's untrustworthiness became clear when managers hid the 2023 safety reports about the factory.
Omar ended the partnership because of Liam's proven untrustworthiness with their investors.
The judge cited the witness's untrustworthiness after discovering lies in his sworn statement.
- unreliability
narrower in meaning; focuses on failing to perform consistently rather than on dishonesty or betrayal
- dishonesty
more specific; refers to a tendency to lie or cheat rather than a general lack of trustworthiness
- treachery
much stronger; implies deliberate betrayal of someone who placed trust in you
- faithlessness
more formal and less common; suggests breaking a promise, vow, or duty
- trustworthiness
the direct opposite — the quality of being reliable and honest
- reliability
overlaps in meaning but focuses on consistent performance rather than honesty
文法句型
possessive + untrustworthiness
untrustworthiness of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Frequently uncountable and used without an article. Common in formal, evaluative, or legal contexts where a person's or institution's character is being assessed. Less common in everyday conversation, where the adjective 'untrustworthy' or a verb phrase ('can't be trusted') is preferred.
常見錯誤
❗ 'His untrustworthiness made him fail the exam.' ✅ 'His untrustworthiness made clients refuse to do business with him.' — untrustworthiness refers to a lack of honesty or dependability, not to a lack of ability or intelligence.
❗ 'I was angry about his untrustworthiness.' (too vague) ✅ 'I was angry about his untrustworthiness because he had lied about where the money went.' — the noun needs concrete context to communicate clearly.