trusting

trusting — adjective

1. Someone who is trusting believes that people are honest and well-meaning, and do

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

Someone who is trusting believes that people are honest and well-meaning, and does not expect to be deceived or taken advantage of.

Example

Ezra has a trusting nature and always believes what his friends tell him.

collocation: trusting nature

After being cheated twice, the usually trusting Beatriz became more cautious.

usually trusting — adverb before adjective

Common collocations
  • trusting nature
  • trusting person
  • trusting smile
  • trusting look
  • trusting relationship
  • trusting personality
  • trusting soul
Synonyms
  • trustful

    Very similar in meaning but less common in everyday speech; more frequent in formal or literary writing.

  • unsuspecting

    Focuses on not expecting danger or trickery in a specific situation, rather than a general personality trait.

  • naive

    Implies lack of experience or worldly wisdom; can carry a slightly stronger suggestion of being easily fooled.

  • gullible

    Clearly negative — describes someone who is easily tricked or persuaded to believe things that are not true.

Antonyms
  • distrustful

    Feels or shows a lack of trust; actively expects that others might be dishonest.

  • wary

    Cautious and watchful, not necessarily distrustful but alert to possible danger or deception.

  • cynical

    Believes that people are motivated purely by self-interest; a much stronger and more negative attitude.

Grammar Patterns

a trusting + noun

be trusting of + noun/pronoun

Usage Note

Trusting describes a general personality trait, not a single action. It is usually neutral or mildly positive, but in some contexts it can suggest a person is too willing to believe others — though with a softer tone than 'naive' or 'gullible'.

Common Mistakes

I am trusting you with my secret.
I trust you with my secret.
'Trusting' as an adjective describes a general tendency; for a specific action in the present, use the verb 'trust'.

Word family

  • trust
    verbB1
  • trust
    nounB1
  • trustful
    adjectiveB2
  • trustfully
    adverbC1
  • trustingly
    adverbC1
  • trustworthy
    adjectiveB2
  • trustworthiness
    nounC1
  • distrust
    nounB2
  • distrust
    verbB2
  • mistrust
    nounC1
  • mistrust
    verbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five words describe a willingness to believe others, but with important differences in tone and scope. 'Trusting' and 'trustful' are the closest in meaning — both describe a general tendency to assume people are honest, though 'trusting' is far more common in everyday English. 'Unsuspecting' usually applies to a specific moment: someone who does not realise they are about to be tricked, like an unsuspecting victim in a scam. 'Naive' adds the idea of inexperience — a naive person lacks the life experience to judge others' motives, so their trust is more a result of innocence than of positive expectation. 'Gullible' is the strongest and most negative: a gullible person will believe almost anything, even obvious lies. For example, a trusting child might believe a stranger's promise, a naive teenager might not recognise flattery, and a gullible adult might fall for the same email scam three times.

trustfulunsuspectingnaive ↗gullible

Common collocations

Adverbs

Prepositions

Etymology

Old NorseEnglish

The adjective 'trusting' was formed in English by adding the suffix '-ing' to the verb 'trust', which came into English from Old Norse 'treysta' — meaning to rely on or have faith in. The '-ing' suffix here turns the action of trusting into an adjective describing a person's character. The word has been used to describe a person's tendency to believe in others since at least the 16th century.