Utroværdige

Utroværdige is a Danish adjective plural form derived from utro, meaning “untrustworthy” or “unreliable.” In contemporary Danish usage, the term describes people, statements, or sources that lack credibility or cannot be relied upon. The root utro is related to tru, which originates from the old Norse word trú, meaning trust or faith. By adding the prefix u‑, meaning “not,” the word conveys the absence of trustworthiness. The plural ending –ige is used when referring to multiple people or items.

In written and spoken Danish, utroværdige is commonly applied in academic, journalistic, and everyday contexts to critique the reliability of information. For example, a journalist may label a source as utroværdige if evidence for their claims is insufficient, or a politician may be described as utroværdige when their promises have consistently failed to materialize. The adjective concords in gender and number: utroværdig (masc./fem.), utroværdige (plural). Related terms include uvidende (ignorant), fejlagtig (mistaken), and foragtelig (despicable), though these carry slightly different nuances.

In practice, utroværdige functions as a warning to audiences that a particular speaker or piece of evidence should be approached with skepticism. The word is increasingly used on social media and in the news. Its usage reflects a broader societal concern with information reliability in an age of rapid communication and frequent misinformation.