trustworthy
B1Pronunciation
UK
- /trˈʌstwɜːði/
US
- /ˈtrəstˌwɜrði/
Description
- Reliable
- Dependable
- Honest
To be trustworthy means people can rely on you to do what you say you will, keep secrets, and act honestly. A trustworthy friend is someone you can count on, even when things get hard. You might describe a mechanic as trustworthy if they give you a fair opinion about your car and do not try to sell you repairs you do not need. This quality is not given for free; it is earned by being steady, honest, and true to your word.
Trustworthy describes someone or something that is reliable, honest, and deserving of confidence. It is more than simply telling the truth once. It points to a pattern of behavior that shows people they can feel safe relying on you. A trustworthy person does the right thing even when nobody is watching.
You might say a news source is trustworthy if it reports facts carefully and gives people good reason to believe it. You could describe a financial advisor as trustworthy if they put your interests before their own profit. The word can also be used for things like systems, products, or information when they prove to be safe, dependable, or accurate over time.
Building trust takes time and effort. It grows through honest actions, kept promises, good judgment, and steady behavior over time. Once trust is broken, it is often hard to repair, and people usually need to see real change before they believe again.
In legal contexts, trustworthiness can refer to whether a witness seems honest and reliable, which affects how people judge their testimony. In everyday life, being known as trustworthy helps build strong relationships, respect, and chances that might not come otherwise. So when you hear "trustworthy," think of a person, source, or system that has shown, again and again, that it can be relied on.
Examples
- 1
Personal trust
I'd leave my house keys with Ana because she's trustworthy.
- 2
Childcare
We need a trustworthy babysitter for Saturday night.
- 3
Money responsibility
He's always been trustworthy with money, so the club asked him to keep the accounts.
Pattern
trustworthy with + money/responsibility
able to handle it responsibly
- 4
Source reliability
Before you quote that number, check that the source is trustworthy.
- 5
Online reviews
The website looked professional, but some of the reviews made it seem less trustworthy.
- 6
Personal information
She seems friendly, but I don't know if she's trustworthy enough to hear the whole story.
Pattern
trustworthy enough to + verb
reliable enough for that responsibility
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- trustworthyadjective