diffidente

distrustful

adjective deef-fee-DEN-teh Rare

Also means

suspicious

Usage Note

Diffidente describes a person who is wary or mistrustful of others. Unlike English 'diffident' (meaning shy or lacking confidence), diffidente means suspicious or distrustful — a significant false friend. The related noun is diffidenza (distrust). It has the same form for both genders: un uomo diffidente, una donna diffidente.

Examples

"È una persona molto diffidente verso gli estranei."

Natural Translation

She is a very distrustful person towards strangers.

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