English Reference
verb · noun · interjection

trust

v. · n. · interj.
US /ˈtɹəst/ UK /tɹˈʌst/ trust UK spelling trusts

  1. 01 A2 Elementary

    v.to believe that someone is honest, good, and will not harm you.

    v.to place confidence in the reliability, truth, or ability of someone or something.

    Simple

    You can trust her with your secrets because she never tells anyone.

    In context

    After years of working together, the partners had learned to trust each other's instincts during difficult negotiations.

    Pitfall
    I trust to him. I trust him.

    When you believe a person is honest, the verb is transitive and does not need a preposition.

    believerely onconfide in
  2. 02 B1 Intermediate Formal

    v.to hope or expect that something is true or will happen.

    v.to believe or hope with a degree of confidence; often introduces a clause.

    Simple

    I trust that you had a safe journey home last night.

    In context

    The director wrote to the shareholders, stating he trusted the new strategy would yield results by the third quarter.

  3. 03 B1 Intermediate

    n.the belief that you can rely on someone or something.

    n.a firm belief in the reliability, truth, or ability of someone or something; an uncountable abstract noun in this sense.

    Simple

    It takes a long time to build trust in a new relationship.

    In context

    The scandal severely damaged the public's trust in the local government's ability to manage the budget.

  4. 04 B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Law

    n.a legal way to hold money or property for someone else, like a child.

    n.a fiduciary arrangement where a third party holds assets on behalf of a beneficiary.

    Simple

    Her grandparents put money in a trust for her university education.

    In context

    The estate was held in a discretionary trust to ensure the assets were protected for future generations.

  5. 05 C1 Advanced Academic

    n.a large group of companies that work together to control a market.

    n.a large-scale business combination or monopoly formed to restrict competition.

    Simple

    The government introduced new laws to break up the oil trust.

    In context

    Nineteenth-century legislators struggled to regulate the powerful steel trusts that dominated the national economy.

  6. 06 C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    n.a setting that allows a computer or user to access a system.

    n.the degree to which a system or component is allowed to access resources based on verified identity.

    Simple

    The administrator had to establish a trust between the two servers.

    In context

    Zero-trust architecture requires every user to be authenticated before gaining access to the private network.

  7. 07 C1 Advanced SlangInformal

    interj.a short way to say 'believe me' or 'I am telling the truth'.

    interj.an elliptical form of 'trust me', used for emphasis or to assert the truth of a statement.

    Simple

    That movie is the best one I have seen all year, trust.

    In context

    You don't want to go to that part of town after dark, trust; it's not as safe as it looks.

    honestlybelieve me

Would you trust your child to stay home alone?

Phys.org· 17 Aug 2026

The success of China’s efforts may depend on building global trust, however.

The Conversation· 12 Aug 2026
This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Very common
Updated